---
title: "Surrey's KPU gets $358,507 to run a tuition-free archaeology school for First Nations students"
description: "Kwantlen Polytechnic University in Surrey received a three-year, $358,507 grant from Canada's science funding agency for a First Nations archaeology field school that launched in spring 2026 and trains students in GPS fieldwork and land history."
canonical_url: "https://voche.me/bc/surrey-2026/news/kpu-surrey-first-nations-archaeology-field-school-grant-2026"
last_updated: "2026-11-04T15:51:40.374Z"
---

Kwantlen Polytechnic University in Surrey has received $358,507 from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, the federal science funding body, to run a tuition-free First Nations archaeology field school for three years, the Surrey Now-Leader reported November 3.

The six-credit program launched in spring 2026. It trains First Nations students in GPS data collection, landscape history and identifying cultural materials in the field. Students also learn to work as Land Guardians. The program combines online instruction with hands-on fieldwork in Indigenous communities.

## Why the program was created

BC has a shortage of trained archaeologists, and many First Nations people already carry out archaeology work in their communities but hold no formal credentials, according to the Surrey Now-Leader. The KPU program gives those people a path to recognition and builds a larger pool of people with the training.

KPU's Indigenous Admissions Committee built entry paths that do not rely only on the standard academic records most programs require, to lower the barriers for students who have field experience but have not followed a traditional classroom route.

Brian Pegg, an anthropology instructor at KPU, leads the field school.

## Who it is for

The program is open to First Nations students with field experience or interest in land-based archaeology. It is tuition-free, funded through the three-year NSERC grant.

## The funding body

The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, known as NSERC, funds university research in natural sciences and engineering. Its grants go to projects at institutions across Canada. The KPU field school received its three-year grant through NSERC's program for applied research that connects universities to community needs. The Surrey Now-Leader did not say what happens to the program after the three years of NSERC funding end.

## What you can do

First Nations students in Surrey or elsewhere in the region who are interested in archaeology or land stewardship can find enrollment information at kpu.ca. The program started in spring 2026 and is funded for three years from the date of the grant. The Surrey Board of Education is one of the publicly elected bodies that oversees K-12 education in the city; this program is at the post-secondary level and runs through KPU's own admissions process.

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