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Introducing Dr. Anne Anderson and community centre

Wed, 26 May, 2021

News item: Introducing Dr. Anne Anderson and community centre

Dr. Anne Anderson School and Community Centre, a partnership between Edmonton Public Schools and the City of Edmonton, will open to the public in September 2021. Not only will the building allow students in south Edmonton the chance to attend school close to home, it will also bring much-needed recreational amenities to the community.

COMMUNITY CENTRE A WELCOME ADDITION TO THE SCHOOL SITE 

By collaborating with the City of Edmonton, we have been able to efficiently create a space that will support healthy living for the whole school community. This innovative partnership is the first of its kind for the Division and will give students and the community access to:

  • premium gymnasium space
  • a running track
  • fitness equipment and studios
  • City of Edmonton art and recreation programming

Community centre second floor running track Large empty gym with a stretch of green turf

SCHOOL DESIGNED TO SUPPORT LEARNING

Dr. Anne Anderson will be the first Division high school built since Lillian Osborne School opened in 2009. The school can serve up to 2,000 students and will offer Grades 10 and 11 when it opens. Grade 12 will be offered starting in 2022-23.

The school is designed for 21st-century learning, a concept rooted in collaboration, flexibility and community. Examples of this concept include:

  • modern furniture
  • flexible workspaces that allow students and staff to work together
  • maker spaces
  • bright, natural light throughout the building

HONOURING DR. ANNE ANDERSON

From the tree-like beams to the Indigenous grasses planted outside of the building, the school namesake’s legacy is fundamental to the school’s design. Dr. Anne Anderson was an author and teacher who was instrumental in preserving the Cree language and promoting Métis heritage in Alberta and Canada. 

A large tipi -like structure with wooden beams inside a school building

The entryway structure that will greet students every day is engraved with Cree words, and the school is designed to connect students to nature, through windows, skylights and outdoor learning spaces. 

Read Dr. Anne Anderson’s biography to learn more about her commitment to preserving the language, history and traditions of First Nations people.

A view from the bottom of two sets of stairs in front of a tipi-like structureA large empty space filled with natural lighting, wooden ceiling beams and two sets of stairs