What Multimedia Arts and Design Academy (MAD Academy) does

The Multimedia Arts and Design Academy (MAD Academy) is a free public school program operated within Santa Barbara High School under the Santa Barbara Unified School District (SBUSD). It serves grades 9 through 12, delivering a structured four-year cohort-based curriculum covering filmmaking, photography, and graphic design through 12 sequenced courses (MAT, FP, and PHOT series), culminating in a required 20-hour media arts internship. The program holds both California Partnership Academy (CPA) and California Technical Education (CTE) designations, and partners with Santa Barbara City College (SBCC) for dual enrollment, enabling students to earn college-transferable credits while in high school.

MAD Academy's production infrastructure includes a 2,000 sq ft film studio with green screen, a 600 sq ft photography studio, two computer labs equipped with Adobe Creative Suite, and free student access to industry-level cameras, lighting, sound, and grip equipment. Curriculum is delivered by approximately six named instructional staff including two Academy Directors (Shea Devlin Peinado for film, Patrick Estrada for media), a Facilities Manager and Photo Instructor, a Family Engagement and Partnership Liaison, a Media Instructor, and an SBCC adjunct professor teaching advanced film production.

The program is entirely tuition-free and does not generate commercial revenue. Operating funds come from annual California Partnership Academy state grants, SBUSD oversight, and voluntary community donations channeled through the California Academy Foundation (a supporting nonprofit). Admissions follow a 50/50 lottery/application model mandated by CPA requirements, with 50% of seats allocated to at-promise students. Recruitment is driven by SBHS school counselor networks distributing interest forms at 8th grade feeder schools, supplemented by community events, a bilingual English/Spanish website, and student work showcased on Vimeo.

Name

Multimedia Arts and Design Academy (MAD Academy)

Legal name

Media Arts and Design Academy (MAD)

Website

https://madacad.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

MAD Academy is a free, public California Partnership Academy and CTE media arts program at Santa Barbara High School (SBUSD), offering a four-year cohort curriculum in filmmaking, photography, and graphic design to grades 9-12, with SBCC dual enrollment and college-transferable credits.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Santa Barbara

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Public Education Funding: MAD Academy receives annual funding from the California Partnership Academy (CPA) grant as a designated California Partnership Academy. This funding supports equipment, staff, technology, software, field trips, and workshops.
2. Community Donations: Voluntary donations from parents and community members fund extras that make MAD unique including computers, cameras, grip and lighting equipment, supplies, trips, facilities and student support services. Donations are voluntary and not a condition of participation.
3. California Partnership Academy Grant: Annual grant funding from the California Partnership Academy program that requires compliance with specific educational requirements and reporting

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

MAD Academy is a free public high school program at Santa Barbara High School offering structured media arts education for grades 9-12. Students enroll in a sequenced curriculum covering filmmaking, photography, graphic design, and digital drawing, with SBCC dual enrollment that yields college-transferable credits. The program provides free access to professional-grade equipment and facilities in a cohort-based community model.

Product overview

The Media Arts and Design Academy (MAD) is a California Partnership Academy and CTE program at Santa Barbara High School offering a structured sequence of media arts courses for grades 9-12. The program provides dual enrollment with SBCC and college-transferable credits. Students progress through a cohort-based curriculum covering filmmaking, photography, graphic design, and digital arts, using industry-standard equipment and facilities including Adobe Creative Suite, a 2,000 sq ft film studio with green screen, and a 600 sq ft photography studio. The program includes required courses (MAT courses for media arts, FP courses for film production, PHOT courses for photography) combined with academic courses (MAD English, History, Chemistry, Sciences, Political Science, Economics) to prepare students for college and careers in media arts.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Intro to Media Arts (MAT 105) Introductory course covering graphic design, photography, and cinematography for 9th grade MAD Academy students.
• Digital Imaging (MAT 131) Photo editing course teaching Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom for 9th-10th grade MAD Academy students.
• Social Media/Web Design (MAT 149) Course covering blog and website creation along with the cultural impact of social media and the internet for 9th grade MAD Academy students.
• Digital Drawing (MAT 112) Vector art creation course in Adobe Illustrator where students design posters, logos, and magazine covers for 10th grade MAD Academy students.
• GDP 110 Media Design Media design course taught by instructor Estrada for 10th grade MAD Academy students (Class of 2029).
• Non-linear Editing (FP 114) Filmmaking course focused on editing where 11th grade MAD Academy students create short film projects including music videos.
• Film Production (FP 175) Course where 11th grade MAD Academy students learn to plan, write, and produce narrative short films.
• Intro to Photography (PHOT 109) Hands-on photography course with DSLR cameras, lighting, and portfolio creation for 12th grade MAD Academy students.
• Advanced Photography (PHOT 209) Advanced photography techniques course for 12th grade MAD Academy students who have completed introductory photography.
• Independent Producing (FP 111) Film production course teaching producing techniques for 12th grade MAD Academy students on the film path.
• Advanced Film Production (FP 276) Advanced film production techniques course taught by SBCC adjunct professor for 12th grade MAD Academy students.
• MAD Film Festival and Digital Arts Showcase Annual showcase event held in June featuring MAD Academy student films and digital arts projects.

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Santa Barbara City College (SBCC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMAD is an SBCC dual enrollment program where students are held to college-level academic and professional standards. Training and college transferrable credits prepare students for college-level media arts programs and careers. Students can earn credits applicable to SBCC media arts programs.
• Santa Barbara Unified School District (SBUSD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMAD Academy is operated under SBUSD. The district requires that donations used for school-related activities be truly voluntary and no student will be excluded from activities because of non-donation.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Ruth Asawa San Francisco School of the Arts: San Francisco Unified School District public arts high school offering media arts, film, photography, and graphic design pathways for grades 9-12. Directly comparable public specialized arts secondary school model with portfolio-based admissions and similar cohort-based program structure.
• Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts: Dallas ISD public magnet high school specializing in visual arts, film, and media arts for grades 9-12. Comparable tuition-free, audition/portfolio-admission public arts secondary school offering sequential media arts curricula and dual-credit pathways.
• Duke Ellington School of the Arts: Washington DC public magnet high school (grades 9-12) offering media arts, film, and visual arts concentrations. Comparable as a public, tuition-free specialized arts secondary school with portfolio-based admissions, industry partnerships, and dual-enrollment opportunities.
• Oakland School for the Arts: Public charter secondary school (grades 6-12) in Oakland offering media arts, film production, and visual arts pathways. Comparable as a publicly funded, tuition-free specialized arts high school with portfolio-based admissions, industry partnerships, and California-based arts education delivery.
• Baltimore School for the Arts: Baltimore City Public Schools magnet high school (grades 9-12) offering film, visual arts, and media production concentrations. Directly comparable public specialized arts secondary school with sequential arts curriculum and partnerships with local higher education institutions.
• New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA): Louisiana public regional arts conservatory serving grades 10-12 with concentrations in media arts, visual arts, and filmmaking. Comparable tuition-free public specialized arts secondary school offering portfolio-based admissions, industry-standard equipment, and college-preparatory curriculum.
• Los Angeles County High School for the Arts (LACHSA): Public, tuition-free specialized arts high school serving grades 9-12 in Los Angeles. Closely comparable as a publicly funded, audition/portfolio-based arts secondary program offering media arts, visual arts, and design tracks with industry-standard equipment and dual-enrollment pathways.
• Orange County School of the Arts (OCSA): Public tuition-free arts conservatory for grades 7-12 in Santa Ana, California. Directly comparable as a California public arts secondary school offering media/film, photography, and visual arts pathways with rigorous portfolio-based admissions and partnerships with local higher education.
• Frank Sinatra School of the Arts: NYC Department of Education public magnet high school (grades 9-12) in Queens offering visual arts, film, and media arts concentrations. Comparable public specialized arts secondary school with audition/portfolio-based admissions and rigorous arts-focused curriculum.

Emerging players

• Idyllwild Arts Academy: Private boarding high school in California offering media arts, film, and visual arts concentrations for grades 9-12. Comparable arts-secondary curriculum and equipment standards, but operates on tuition-funded private model rather than MAD's public/free tuition-free CPA/CTE model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/multimedia-arts-and-design-academy-mad-academy-

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Multimedia Arts and Design Academy (MAD Academy)