Roots of Power: Announcing the Winners of Our 2026 Student Leadership Conference T-Shirt Design Competition
For the second year in a row, Teens for Food Justice invited students across its network to shape the visual identity of the Student Leadership Conference through a T-shirt design contest. This year, the winners were chosen by the people who know the conference best: TFFJ alumni.
The students who once stood in these same classrooms and wore past conference shirts now returned as decision-makers. They evaluated how effectively each submission connected to the Roots of Power theme, aligned with TFFJ’s mission of building a just food system for all, and reflected the spirit of youth leadership that defines the conference.
Their selections reflect a clear throughline: power is not abstract. It is grounded. It is relational. It grows from systems that sustain life and communities that sustain one another.
🥇 1st Place: Darwin L.
World View High School | 12th Grade
Prize: $100 Gift Card and Official 2026 SLC Logo Feature
Darwin’s winning design centers on a crown. In his rendering, however, the crown does not represent hierarchy or authority. It represents nature itself.
“The crown represents how powerful nature really is,” he wrote. “The crown shows how nature is above humanity and how we depend on its system for our survival for example clean air, food, water, resources.”
His interpretation reframes power as dependence rather than dominance. By placing nature at the apex, Darwin illustrates a core principle of food justice work: human systems are inseparable from environmental systems. Clean air, fertile soil, and accessible water are not background conditions. They are the foundation.
Darwin’s design stood out for its symbolism and for its precision. He directly addressed the theme and articulated its implications. Roots of Power, in his view, begins with acknowledging the systems that sustain life and recognizing our responsibility within them. His artwork will become part of the official logo for the 2026 Student Leadership Conference.
🥈 2nd Place: Ayla R.
The Scholars’ Academy | 8th Grade
Prize: $50 Gift Card
Ayla’s submission approached the theme through community.
“This design tells us how important and strong our community is as a whole, working together to keep ourselves healthy and powerful,” she shared.
Her concept centers on collective strength. Rather than isolating a single symbol, she emphasizes the interconnectedness that makes systems function. In the context of food justice, that insight is practical. Growing, distributing, and advocating for healthier food environments requires coordinated effort. It depends on collaboration between students, educators, families, and local partners.
Ayla’s clarity and framing are precise: power is personal, and it grows through shared responsibility.
🥉 3rd Place: Liana M.
The Scholars’ Academy | 8th Grade
Prize: $50 Gift Card
Liana’s design translates the theme into movement.
“My design reflects this year’s theme because you can see the collaboration of many hands that are roots, creating a sprout. This sprout, grown by the hands, also changes other people, as seen by the fingers changing color.”
Her imagery draws a direct line between action and growth. Hands become roots. Roots produce new life. That growth, in turn, influences others.
The concept reflects the structure of the Student Leadership Conference itself. Students begin with learning. They move toward advocacy. Their work extends beyond their own campuses and into their communities. Liana’s design captures that progression in visual form.
A Growing Tradition
The Student Leadership Conference brings together students from across TFFJ campuses to present advocacy projects, participate in workshops, and engage with mentors working in food policy and community health. Last year’s gathering brought more than 100 students from 14 schools together to explore how youth leadership shapes food systems.
The T-shirt design contest now shapes that shared idea of leadership, and it is clear that students view it as an opportunity to contribute meaningfully to the conference’s message.
Darwin, Ayla, and Liana each offered a distinct interpretation of Roots of Power. Together, their work illustrates a consistent theme: strength grows from connection. From systems. From collective care. ❦
Pamela Honey is the Communications & Content Coordinator at Teens For Food Justice.
