A $650,000 donation to Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) will support student success in horticulture and sustainable agriculture programs in the Faculty of Science.
The donation from the estate of Evelyn Oberg will be invested in an endowment fund, providing annually 15 awards of $2,000 to students in financial need.
“This is a transformational gift,” says Randall Heidt, CEO of the KPU Foundation. “We are just so grateful to Evelyn Oberg for her incredible investment in these students, who will help define and shape horticulture and sustainable agriculture practices now and in the future.”
Oberg was a longtime Langley resident with a passion for nature and animals, and a friend of KPU’s horticulture school.
“This generous donation allows KPU to provide long-term support to students entering these important fields of study, while contributing to the KPU Foundation mission of ensuring quality learning experiences for KPU students to achieve success,” says Heidt.
Students enrolled in citations, apprenticeships, diplomas or degrees in horticulture or sustainable agriculture will be eligible to apply for these bursaries.
“KPU’s Horticulture and Sustainable Agriculture programs train students with the skills they need to become leaders in these fields,” says Dr. Brett Favaro, Dean of the Faculty of Science. “These annual awards will support students in financial need, and will grow the pool of people who will contribute to food security and sustainability in B.C. and beyond.”
KPU’s School of Horticulture, located at KPU Langley, features a fully equipped field lab and greenhouse complex. Its programs include a Bachelor of Horticulture Science, Major in Plant Health, a four-year degree that combines plant pathology, entomology and horticultural practices as part of a holistic approach to plant health protection. Four two-year diploma programs are available in horticulture technology, including three specializations: landscape horticulture systems, sustainable production horticulture and turf management. Five-course citations are available in garden centre operations, horticulture science and production horticulture in B.C. Students find careers in nursery and field crop production; arboriculture; industry research, development and innovation; designing, installing and maintaining parks and gardens; and managing sports fields and golf courses.
KPU’s Bachelor of Applied Science in Sustainable Agriculture is a four-year program located at KPU Richmond. This degree focuses on organic food production, and students learn hands-on skills through a combination of classroom and farm-based learning. In addition to direct employment in the organic agricultural sector, sustainable agriculture graduates find careers in fields as diverse as planning, resource management, government, non-governmental organizations, agricultural support enterprises and production agriculture.
Registration information for all KPU programs is available in the student registration guide. For information about applying for the Evelyn Oberg Memorial Bursary and other scholarships, students are asked to contact Student Awards and Financial Assistance at KPU at 604-599-2700 or finaid@kpu.ca.