Kwantlen Polytechnic University has partnered with the Native Education College to create pathways for students to earn their degree. The agreement will allow NEC students to count the Indigenous Land Stewardship certificate toward KPU’s Horticulture Urban Ecosystems bachelor’s degree.
“We felt the strong synergies between the Indigenous Land Stewardship program at NEC and the Horticulture Urban Ecosystems program at KPU were worth connecting,” said KPU Vice President, Students Steve Cardwell. “We’re proud to partner with the NEC to assist their students in obtaining degrees that will help them maintain ecosystem health and build resilience for their communities.”
“Students from the Indigenous land stewardship program will benefit greatly from the facilities and resources of KPU’s Department of Horticulture,” says Dr. Kathy Dunster, an instructor in the Horticulture Urban Ecosystems program.
“From greenhouses to a rooftop research garden and the Logan Creek floodplain forest and salmon stream post-colonial ecosystem repair project, we have many opportunities on our Langley campus for hands-on experiential education,” she says.
Dunster says the agreement supports the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, including eliminating poverty and hunger, equal access to education and clean water, protecting all life on land and finding decent work.