The power behind a pedagogy of inclusion in creating social change

Background/Question/Methods

Ecology, as a science, is rooted in the process of making observations and asking questions.  A diverse profession ensures that a robust presence of questions are at the table to keep ecology’s research agenda alive and relevant to the needs of the world.  Diversity also enables ecological knowledge of a culture, derived through means such as storytelling or an intimate knowledge of place, to have a rightful place in academic and decision making realms.  The importance of diversity is clear and well documented for the strengths it adds when problem solving and decision making in wide variety of disciplines.  But the million dollar question remains, how is diversity achieved?  The Ecological Society of America’s (ESA) Strategies for Ecology Education Development and Sustainability (SEEDS) program has been striving to achieve diversity in the ecology profession for the past 16 years.  The SEEDS model rests on the philosophy that in order for diversity to thrive, we must create an environment of acceptance that enables novel ideas and approaches to come forward without inhibition.  This is known as the pedagogy of inclusion.  Themes of inclusion in education have existed for a long time.  Some of the well known thinkers recognizing the power of inclusion were John Dewey and Paulo Freire.  More recently, Chet Bowers has highlighted the importance of cultural metaphors in environmental understanding, advocating for a blend of environmental and cultural systems, as a framework for education.  Inclusion is the centerpiece of the SEEDS program, upon which ESA is seeing positive change in achieving broad diversity within our profession.

Results/Conclusions

Since 1996, the ESA SEEDS program has served more than 3,000 people in a variety of program opportunities. Direct support was offered to 488 students for 937 opportunities between 2002-2011 through Undergraduate Research Fellowships, ecological field trips, Leadership Meetings and Travel Awards to ESA Annual Meetings.  40% of students were served more than once, reflecting the nurturing philosophy of SEEDS.  Our impact on students overall has also been significant. A 2011 survey of SEEDS participants directly served (N=85) shows that have 51.7% have graduated, 42.35% are in graduate school (N=36), 50.59% are employed (including students). Of those in graduate school, 97% (N=35) are still in an ecology or environment-related field. Of those who are employed, 93% have remained in the field, indicating positive career impacts of SEEDS. Further, 98% indicated they plan to remain involved in the environmental field in the future.