Kwantlen Polytechnic University
EN-10: Community Partnerships

KPU has secured significant funding from Métis Nation British Columbia (MNBC) and support from the Province of British Columbia New Spaces Fund to provide 36 infant-toddler spaces and 25 for children aged two-and-a-half to kindergarten at its Surrey campus. MNBC will provide expertise and resources toward the planning, finance, and operation of the 61-space child care facility and in recognition of its investment, Métis children will have priority access to some of the child care spaces. The proposal goes beyond hosting a child care facility. KPU is partnering with Capilano University and MNBC to offer early childhood education (ECE) programming at the Surrey campus. Once built, the campus facility will provide practicum placement opportunities for Early Childhood Care students and support a broader approach to holistic sustainability at KPU and beyond. https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2022ECC0017-000561

KPU joined "Feed BC" in August 2021 with a shared interest in increasing local food awareness through food culture, sustainability, and food innovation on campus. Feed BC is a program led by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food with the Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills and a network of multiple post-secondary institutes across British Columbia. This program enables universities to demonstrate their commitment to "their sustainability goals and student interests in local food, and measurably contribute to the economic development and vibrancy of their local B.C. communities". KPU’s Ancillary Services has enhanced its student experience by creating a partnership with food service company Chartwells to create a customized approach to their food services to reflect the needs of the various campus communities. KPU's goal since joining the program is to have a minimum of 30% food expenditure from local suppliers. This program helps to support local farmers throughout British Columbia. https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/industry/agriculture-seafood/growbc-feedbc-buybc/feed-bc-and-the-bc-food-hub-network/institutional-partnerships/feed-bc-in-post-secondary-institutions

The Tsawwassen First Nation Farm School is a partnership between KPU and the Tsawwassen First Nation and is an immersion into integrated vegetable and livestock farming. The program incorporates a diversity of topics centered around regenerative agriculture including an Indigenous food systems perspective. 

Ongoing partnerships between KPU and the City of Surrey and the Township of Langley: KPU has partnered with local municipalities on climate action. Represented by a group of faculty and staff, KPU sat as an advisor for the development of the Climate Action Plans for two of the three cities where the university is located, the City of Surrey and the Township of Langley. The City of Surrey's Climate Change Action Strategy was adopted in July 2023. The Township of Langley's Climate Action Strategy has been approved and was published in 2021. Ongoing partnerships between KPU’s Institute for Sustainable Horticulture and the community: KPU's Institute for Sustainable Horticulture partners with a variety of community members, including BC Greenhouse Growers Association, BC Landscape and Nursery Association, Bee Vectoring Technology, Canadian Ornamental Horticulture Alliance, Enterra, and more to promote sustainable horticulture across the Lower Mainland, British Columbia, and beyond. https://www.kpu.ca/ish/partners Ongoing partnership with KPU's Melville School of Business and the International Society of Sustainability Professionals (ISSP): Melville School of Business has an educational partnership with the ISSP to connect classroom instruction to the ISSP's standard of sustainability excellence. The agreement supports students for a career in green business and facilitates recognized industry professional designations in sustainability.