About the EDSA

The National EDSA Organization is a dynamic and energetic youth organization that strives to change lives and prepare members for career leadership, personal growth, and success through secondary education.

EDSA develops members’ potential and helps them discover their talent through hands-on experiences, which give members the tools to achieve real-world success.

Our members are future chemists, veterinarians, government officials, entrepreneurs, bankers, lawyers, international business leaders, teachers, and professionals in many career fields.

EDSA is an extracurricular student organization for those interested in education, business, and leadership. It is one of the three components of education.

The official name of the organization is the National EDSA Organization. The letters “EDSA” stand for Educational Diversity Students of America. These letters are a part of our history and heritage that will never change.

Mission & Motto
What is EDSA?
Alumni Membership
Strategic Plan

"Educational Diversity Students of America” was founded by a group of students in 1992. Their mission was to prepare themselves and future generations for the challenges that accompany careers today. They taught us that education and leadership is an ever-evolving art that students need to learn today and in the future."

EDSA welcomes members who aspire to careers as teachers, doctors, lawyers, scientists, business owners, and more. For this reason, the founding members adopted the organization's name to reflect the growing diversity and new opportunities in each industry.

EDSA continues to help the next generation rise to meet those challenges by helping its members develop their unique talents and explore their interests in various career pathways. So today, we are still the Educational Diversity Students of America. But we are the future Scientists, Lawyers, Engineers, and Entrepreneurs of America.

Today, the National EDSA Organization remains committed to the individual student, providing a path to achievement in career leadership, personal growth, and career success through secondary education. Our members live the motto Ability to Live, To Learn, To put people first. EDSA members rise to the service challenge, embracing members of all walks of life united through EDSA. We Are EDSA.

EDSA is Structured on Three Levels:

Our founding members structured the National EDSA Organization to have at least three levels of our organization. These levels are the local chapters, state associations, and the national organization. To help you understand how our organization is structured, we have provided descriptions of each level of our organization as follows:

Local EDSA Chapters

The heart of the National EDSA Organization is at the local chapter level. Public or private schools with a recognized secondary education program can apply to the state association for a chapter charter.

Each chapter's student members elect at least six student officers to lead the chapter's membership each year.

State EDSA Associations

Our organization consists of chartered state associations. Each state association consists of local chapters.

Each state association functions within the constitution and bylaws of the National EDSA Organization but can create individual leadership structures, awards programs, and competitions.

Every year each state association elects a minimum of six student officers to lead the state association. The state officers are nominated and elected by student delegates representing each chapter in the state association.

Each local chapter must apply for and receive its charter from the state association.

National EDSA Organization

At the national level, two governing boards lead our organization. These boards are the Board of Directors which consists of 20 adult members who are professional educators, business professionals, and community members at large, and the Board of National Student Officers, which consists of the student president, four student regional vice presidents, and a student secretary that have been nominated and elected annually at the national convention by student delegates representing the state associations.

Together the two boards act on recommendations from the national convention delegates and secondary education stakeholders to set the vision and policy for the organization. The National EDSA Constitution and Bylaws establish the founding principles, authority, objectives, and procedures of the national organization.

The National EDSA Organization is a resource and support organization that does not select, control or supervise state associations, local chapters, or individual member activities. Educational materials are developed by EDSA in cooperation with federal and state agencies having oversight of education as a service to state and local secondary education agencies.

The National EDSA Organization affirms its belief in the value of all human beings and seeks diversity in its membership, leadership, and staff as an equal-opportunity employer.

How is EDSA Funded?

Our organization's program funding comes from sponsorships and individual donations at the local, state, and national levels. National membership dues for each organization member are $7 per year.