Dakar Foundation
Sign in

0
Spots
6w
Program
18–18
Age
LA
County
The Program

Three pillars. One path.

Every cohort moves through these in 6 weeks. Real skills. Real outputs. Real network.

01
Learning

AI tools. Content creation. The skills that actually move money in 2026 — not theory, not classroom. Hands on the tech from day one.

02
Applying

Put it to work on real productions. In real labs. On real sound stages. Side-by-side with people who do this every day. You'll build a portfolio you can show.

03
Commerce

How to turn skills into income. Residual revenue. A business of your own. We teach you how the money actually works — not just how to make content.

TALK TO LINNA
◊ Linna · Live now

Got questions?
Ask her.

Linna's the AI guide for Dakar Pathway. She knows everything about the program — the 6 tracks, the wraparound supports, who's already in (Wykin on RED Komodo, Khyber with the Nanolite gear), the real partnerships (KTLA, Higgsfield, HartBeat Studios). Tap the avatar, hit Chat now, and talk to her like you'd talk to a real person.

Ask: "What's TAY WoW?" or "Do I qualify if I have a kid?" or "What's the catch?"
She'll route you to the application when you're ready.
10 minutes max per call. Mic permission required.
Modular Tracks

Six specializations. One reel.

Interwoven specializations modeled after working production crews — paired with an AI-first creative core.

The End Product

What you actually leave with.

Not a certificate. A reel. A network. A portfolio. Press play.

Showcase

Not classroom mockups. Real sets.

Six weeks alongside working pros on the same gear used on Hollywood productions.

On Set · LA
RED Komodo
ARRI SkyPanel
ARRI SkyPanel
Mix Console
Red Carpet
Broadcast Eng.
Broadcast Eng.
AI Workflows
TAY WoW

Transitional Age Youth · World of Work.

The non-negotiable layer underneath everything else we teach.

The real-world stuff nobody told you. How to consistently make money. Why W-2 income comes with taxes. How to elevate, not just hustle.

Without TAY WoW, you’re not work-ready. With it, you go the distance.

This is where the work happens.

Real sets. Real crews. Real gear. Six weeks shoulder-to-shoulder with people building the next decade of LA media.

How the work unfolds

Watch. Touch. Build.

Real apprenticeship. No classroom theory. The work happens where work actually happens.

01
Observe

You start by watching pros do the work. Sets. Studios. Edit bays. Get the language. Learn the rhythm.

02
Hands on Tech

Hardware in your hands. Software open on your laptop. Real cameras, real boards, real AI tools. You start doing.

03
Team Project

You're on a team that ships something real. Collaboration is the lesson. You can't do this alone — and you don't have to.

What you get

No excuse to drop out.

We remove the friction. Show up, do the work, we handle the rest.

Paid stipend

Real money while you're in the program.

Uber + Lyft tokens

Get to and from sessions, on us.

Food

Meals during program days.

Clothing

If you need it for sessions or sets.

Childcare

If you qualify — we'll figure it out together so it's not a reason you can't show up.

The Digital Pathway Initiative

A real on-ramp into LA’s creative-tech economy.

Built with the Los Angeles Regional Consortium, CSU Entertainment Alliance, the U.S. Department of Labor and California DAS — connecting under-represented students with paid, hands-on production work for top studios, broadcasters and live-event producers.

“This isn’t a classroom. It’s a runway.”
  • Paid on-the-job learning — zero cost to apprentices
  • Mentorship from HartBeat, Sony Digital, LA Times Studios & LARC partners
  • Capstone screening before working executives and producers
  • Job placement support, internship pipelines & startup launch coaching
LA production set
On set · Los Angeles
Where apprentices ship their first reel.
0+
LA Community Colleges
0
Instructional Hours
6mo
To Certification
501(c)(3)
Non-Profit Pathway
Statewide Academic Network

Community college to CSU.

Built with LARC (recruitment + training) and CSUEA (transfer + advanced study) — the most diverse media pipeline in the country.

0
LA Community Colleges
0
CSU Campuses
0K+
CSU Students
1
Unified Pathway
LARC · 20 Colleges
Los Angeles CCCerritosCitrusComptonEast LAEl CaminoGlendaleL.A. CityL.A. HarborL.A. MissionL.A. PierceL.A. SouthwestL.A. Trade-TechL.A. ValleyLong Beach CityMt. SACPasadena CityRio HondoSanta MonicaWest LA
CSUEA · 23 Campuses
BakersfieldChannel IslandsChicoDominguez HillsEast BayFresnoFullertonCal Poly HumboldtLong BeachLos AngelesMaritimeMonterey BayNorthridgeCal Poly PomonaSacramentoSan BernardinoSDSUSF StateSan José StateCal Poly SLOSan MarcosSonomaStanislaus
Credentials & Backing

A credential that travels.

Complete a minimum 6 months of supervised on-the-job learning and earn a DAS-aligned certification — plus a portfolio, capstone reel, and warm intros across the LA creative-tech ecosystem.

Dual-Registered
DOL · CA DAS

U.S. Department of Labor and California Division of Apprenticeship Standards.

501(c)(3)
Non-Profit Pathway

Operated by Dakar Foundation — eligible for grant funding & community giving.

Industry-Backed
Studios + Schools

HartBeat · Sony Digital · LA Times Studios · UCLA REMAP · USC Annenberg · CSUEA.

Recognition & Partners

In good company.

NAACP
Olympic Broadcasting Services
California Jobs First
CSUEA
WePlay Studios
AT&T / Warner Bros. SHAPE
Digital Hollywood
South Bay WIB
UCLA Anderson
UCLA TFT
LA County DT
City of Los Angeles
California DAS
U.S. Dept. of Labor ETA
SIGGRAPH
LAUSD BSA
Dakar Foundation
NAACP
Olympic Broadcasting Services
California Jobs First
CSUEA
WePlay Studios
AT&T / Warner Bros. SHAPE
Digital Hollywood
South Bay WIB
UCLA Anderson
UCLA TFT
LA County DT
City of Los Angeles
California DAS
U.S. Dept. of Labor ETA
SIGGRAPH
LAUSD BSA
Dakar Foundation
Spotlight

Apprentice of the month.

Every month we feature an apprentice and their work. Check back as graduates start dropping their reels.

Cohort 01
Sample reel
Cohort 01
Sample reel
Cohort 01
Sample reel

Cohort 01 sample reel — first official spotlight after July apprentices ship.

You read this far. Apply.

3-minute form. Upload a short video reel. Drop your social links. We’ll be in touch.

Open Application

10 spots · 18–24 · LA County · Free to apply