A storefront school is a school that uses rented space, typically originally intended for retail, instead of a dedicated, purpose-built school building. They are often used for

continuing education Continuing education (similar to further education in the United Kingdom and Ireland) is an all-encompassing term within a broad list of post-secondary learning activities and programs. The term is used mainly in the United States and Canada. ...

and upgrading by mature students or other students who do not need or want the facilities or social atmosphere associated with a traditional school. Storefront schools are common across Canada.

Examples

Storefront School in

Ottawa Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...

(part of

Ottawa-Carleton District School Board The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB, known as English-language Public District School Board No. 25 prior to 1999) refers to both the institution responsible for the operation of all English public schools in the city of Ottawa, Ont ...

) "is designed to serve 19 to 21 year old adults with intellectual disabilities who have had prior successful independent Co-op placements. Storefront students come from a variety of programs within the city of Ottawa. This two-year transition program focuses on increasing independence and employability skills." At the School District 23 Central Okanagan's three storefront school in

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include ...

, which offer "an alternate program for students in grades 7 - 9 who are typically between the ages of 12 to 16 ..students attending are typically at risk of dropping out of school or find the more traditional regular school unable to meet their learning styles .. Students attend 2 hours daily and are assigned to one teacher at a set time. Successful students in our school typically move on to our Grade 10 Program or return to a regular school or enter the work force." Greater St. Albert Catholic Schools's St. Gabriel Storefront School in

Alberta Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...

in 2007 was created as a merger of the district's previous outreach and online school programs. As part of its outreach department

Edmonton Public Schools Edmonton Public Schools (legally Edmonton School Division) is the largest public school division in Edmonton, the second largest in Alberta, and the sixth largest in Canada. The division offers a variety of alternative and special needs programs, ...

operates five "Learning Stores".http://outreach.epsb.ca/

References

{{Reflist School types Education in Canada Retail buildings Former school buildings in Canada