An Overview of Current Education Efforts Within the Ecological Society of America

Abstract Education has been and remains an important focus within the Ecological Society of America (ESA). Since the late 1980s, the number of initiatives, sections, and committees devoted to education, especially at the undergraduate level, has increased greatly. The purpose of this article is to identify and describe the education‐related initiatives and groups within ESA (as of May 2025), especially to provide information for new members. Education activities within ESA are coordinated by the Office for Education and Diversity Programs (OEDP). The Education Committee, which reports to ESA’s Governing Board, engages in various education‐related activities on behalf of the Board. Three sections within the ESA address education: the Education Section, the Researchers at Undergraduate Institutions, and the Communication and Engagement Section. ESA’s Four‐Dimensional Ecology Education (4DEE) framework was endorsed by the Society’s Governing Board in 2018 and is overseen by a 4DEE Sub‐Committee. Three working groups currently help to implement aspects of 4DEE, including nonmajors and general education, video and media, and integration. The ESA sponsors various online resources to support education, including the EcoEdDL digital library, the EcoEd email listserv, and the Teaching with Issues and Experiments in Ecology (TIEE) online journal. Education has become an integral part of the ESA’s Annual Meeting, where attendees can find numerous oral presentations, poster sessions and workshops, including the popular Resources for Ecology Education Fair and Share (REEFS). The Strategies for Ecology Education, Diversity and Sustainability (SEEDS) initiative is ESA’s flagship outreach program. The OEDP sponsors a Life Discovery‐Doing Science Education Conference (LDC) that meets annually or semi‐annually. Each year, the ESA formally recognizes an outstanding ecology educator through its Eugene P. Odum Award for Excellence in Ecology Education. ESA members wishing to become involved in ESA’s education initiatives should visit http://www.esa.org/education for more information.