The Texas Leaders in Conservation (TLC) program kicked off its eleventh year in the 2025–2026 school year with a renewed focus on “starting anew.” This year brings a fully new cohort at Young Women’s STEAM Academy at Balch Springs, a new Community Liaison at Irma Lerma Rangel Young Women’s Leadership School in Dallas, and many new students at Young Women’s Leadership Academy in San Antonio. TLC also launched the first year of its new five‑year curriculum cycle, beginning with Climate Change before moving through Water, Coasts, Working Lands, and Bird‑Friendly Communities—ensuring students can participate all four years of high school without repeating a topic. 

Students in TLC bring diverse interests—from neuroscience and environmental law to conservation biology. This year’s 34 participants range from freshmen to seniors, with most students in their sophomore or junior years. Despite their varied backgrounds, they come together seamlessly during field experiences that emphasize connection, leadership, and conservation action. 

With Climate Change as this year’s theme, students are actively engaging in prairie restoration projects. They’ve been planting Little Bluestem and Big Bluestem while learning about propagation and the role these native grasses play in carbon storage and supporting prairie‑dependent bird species. In San Antonio, students are exploring the role of community infrastructure in protecting natural spaces, visiting parks like Confluence Park and McAllister Park, and examining how climate impacts—from drought to increased water demand—affect the Edwards Aquifer. 

TLC also prioritizes building resilience and community. Through games, reflective journaling, and unstructured time in nature, students learn to decompress from academic pressures while forming strong connections. These experiences reinforce a core belief: teens are a vital resource, poised to become tomorrow’s leaders. Through joyful, hands‑on conservation work, TLC students are proving, one field trip at a time, that a small group of committed young people truly can make a difference.