URBAN ACT Academy

What URBAN ACT Academy does

URBAN ACT Academy is a student-centered public charter elementary school operating as a non-profit, currently in pre-opening phase for its Anderson, Indiana campus at 630 Nichol Ave. The school is enrolling K-2nd grade students for an August 2026 launch, with a stated plan to expand enrollment through 5th grade in subsequent years. Its educational model rests on three integrated pillars: place-based and project-based learning that connects classroom instruction to real-world challenges in the Anderson community, personalized learning plans tailored to each student, and a restorative school culture emphasizing social-emotional learning and whole-child development. The organization maintains an existing flagship campus in Indianapolis, and the Anderson expansion represents its second operational site.

The core product is a tuition-free K-2 elementary education program (expanding to K-5), delivered through small class sizes with individualized attention, an emphasis on literacy and critical thinking, and close family partnerships. The school does not disclose proprietary technology; its digital stack is limited to standard, off-the-shelf tools — Google Forms for the student enrollment workflow, Indeed for job postings, and a Squarespace-hosted website. As a public charter school, URBAN ACT Academy is funded through state and federal per-pupil education funding mechanisms rather than tuition. There are no patents, proprietary platforms, or disclosed technology differentiators; the competitive positioning rests on pedagogical approach and leadership rather than technology.

Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer in the strictest sense: families enroll their children via an automated Google Form on urbanact.org, with manual enrollment handled by Principal Mark Humphrey ([email protected]). Marketing relies on the school's own website, organic social media, and community partnerships in Anderson. Leadership is founder-led by Head of School Nigena Livingston (Master's in Educational Leadership, 20+ years of education experience, founder of the Indianapolis flagship) and Principal Mark Humphrey (Anderson native, 8+ years in urban education). No parent company, subsidiaries, or external equity ownership are disclosed. The organization recently issued a public fraud alert regarding impersonation scams targeting its recruiting communications.

Name

URBAN ACT Academy

Legal name

URBAN ACT Academy

Website

https://urbanact.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

URBAN ACT Academy is a non-profit public charter elementary school opening in Anderson, Indiana in August 2026 for K-2 students, with plans to expand to K-5. It offers tuition-free, place-based, personalized education to Anderson families, funded through public per-pupil mechanisms.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charter Elementary Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Elementary Schools (EDAJAAAB)

Keywords

• Public charter school
• Elementary education
• Place-based learning
• Personalized learning
• Charter elementary school

Headquarters

HQ city

Anderson

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Public Charter School Funding: As a public charter school, URBAN ACT Academy receives funding through state and federal education funding mechanisms rather than tuition. This is a per-pupil funding model based on student enrollment.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

URBAN ACT Academy operates a public charter elementary school in Anderson, Indiana opening August 2026 for K-2 students, expanding to K-5 in subsequent years. The school delivers tuition-free education through place-based learning that connects classroom instruction to real-world community challenges, combined with personalized learning plans and a restorative social-emotional learning culture. Families enroll directly through the school's website or by contacting school leadership.

Product overview

URBAN ACT Academy is a public charter school serving as a single, unified educational product rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. The core offering is the K-2nd grade elementary education program (expanding to K-5) in Anderson, Indiana. This program is delivered through an integrated approach combining place-based learning curriculum, personalized learning plans, and social-emotional learning components. The school provides small class sizes, individualized attention, and strong emphasis on literacy, critical thinking, civic engagement, and community connection.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• K-2 Elementary Education Program Student-centered public charter elementary school program for kindergarten through 2nd grade students (expanding to 5th grade), delivering tuition-free education through place-based learning, personalized instruction, and a restorative social-emotional learning culture to families in Anderson, Indiana.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Indiana GPSminorOthersIndiana GPS is referenced as an official resource on the school's website, suggesting a connection to Indiana's education infrastructure. Indiana GPS (indianagps.doe.in.gov) is Indiana's state education platform for parents and families.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves1 record

Broad incumbents

• Green Dot Public Schools: National charter management organization operating public charter schools serving predominantly low-income communities; comparable non-profit, per-pupil revenue model with broader geographic footprint.
• National Heritage Academies: Charter management organization operating public charter schools across multiple states, including Indiana; comparable on operational model, tuition-free public charter structure, and K-8 grade band.
• Success Academy Charter Schools: Large New York-based charter network operating elementary and middle schools with a rigorous academic model; comparable on grade span (elementary focus) and charter/public-funding structure.
• IDEA Public Schools: Large national charter network operating college-prep public charter schools primarily in Texas and Louisiana; comparable non-profit, per-pupil-funded charter model with significant operational scale.
• KIPP Foundation: National non-profit network of college-preparatory public charter schools serving underserved communities; broadly comparable on mission, funding model, and student demographic focus.

Direct peers

• Phalen Leadership Academies: Indiana-based charter management organization operating multiple schools serving urban and underserved populations; comparable structure, geography, and target student base.
• KIPP Indianapolis: Part of the KIPP charter network serving Indianapolis families in high-need communities; comparable non-profit, public-funded charter model serving historically underserved learners in the same Indiana market.
• Christel House Academies: Indianapolis-area charter network serving students from low-income families with a college/career readiness mission; directly comparable in mission, funding model, and target demographics.
• URBAN ACT Academy (Indianapolis flagship): The same organization's existing Indianapolis campus, operating the same place-based, restorative-culture charter model founded by Nigena Livingston; the most direct comparable since the Anderson campus is essentially a replication of this site.
• Enlace Academy: Indianapolis charter school serving a similar elementary-age, underserved population with a community-anchored mission; closely comparable on grade span, geography, and student demographics.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/UrbanActAcademy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 URBAN ACT Academy