RAFT Blog, News, and Events

Featured Articles and News

🏆 RAFT Wins Double Gold in Bay Area Parent’s 2025 Best of the Best Awards!

July 29, 2025

RAFT is proud to announce that our STEAM Dream Summer Camp has been awarded Gold in two categories in Bay Area Parent Magazine’s 2025 Best of the Best Awards: 🥇 Best Day Camp – Silicon Valley 🥇 Best Science & Technology Camp – Silicon Valley This exciting recognition reflects the strength and impact of RAFT’s…

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Bringing Hands-On STEAM Learning to San Diego Educators

May 18, 2025

RAFT recently had the pleasure of participating in the San Diego STEAM Educators Conference at the University of San Diego from May 16-17. The event brought together hundreds of teachers from across the state committed to advancing STEAM education across Southern California. Nancy McIntyre, RAFT’s new Community Engagement Manager, represented our team at the conference,…

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From Honoree to Advocate: A STEAM Award’s Ripple Effect

May 14, 2025

At RAFT, we believe in celebrating educators who bring STEAM to life through hands-on learning. Our STEAM Teachers and Administrators of the Year Awards honor those who go above and beyond-and sometimes, that recognition inspires something even bigger. Just ask Bryan Williams, a past STEAM Teacher of the Year award recipient who later nominated another…

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DreamBox Impact Series: Milpitas Unified School District

April 1, 2025

Engaging EL and SPED Learners Through Hands-On STEAM For the past two summers, RAFT has partnered with Milpitas Unified School District to bring hands-on STEAM learning to the district’s Extended School Year (ESY) summer program. This past summer, 230 fourth- through sixth-grade Special Education (SPED) and English Learner (EL) students became environmental engineers-designing water filtration…

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Renovated Volunteer Center Thanks To Rebuilding Together and DPR Construction

Oct 25, 2021 | Comments Off on Renovated Volunteer Center Thanks To Rebuilding Together and DPR Construction

With help from Rebuilding Together Silicon Valley and DPR Construction, RAFT has a new and improved volunteer center. Thank you to the volunteers for revamping our volunteer center and providing an inviting space for our volunteers and staff. DPR Construction is a unique technical builder with…

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Members: Help us improve and win a $50 RAFT gift certificate!

Oct 19, 2021 | Comments Off on Members: Help us improve and win a $50 RAFT gift certificate!

Your input last year led to many significant changes to improve the shopping experience at RAFT. Here’s how your feedback helped us:  Members wanted more direction within the store. So RAFT added signage throughout the store with more signs to come! Members wanted to…

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25 Years of Commitment: Anne Murphy!

Oct 18, 2021 | Comments Off on 25 Years of Commitment: Anne Murphy!

RAFT would like to give a HUGE congratulations and thank you to Anne Murphy for celebrating 25 years working at RAFT. Anne originally came to help out for only 6 weeks and stayed on the RAFT team as our accountant for the last 25…

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2 New Kits for Early Childhood Educators (ECE)!

Oct 18, 2021 | Comments Off on 2 New Kits for Early Childhood Educators (ECE)!

RAFT has 2 new kits: Paper Sunflowers and Rolling Maze. These kits are the first in a series of kits specially geared for early childhood educators (ECE) and early elementary teachers. Paper Sunflowers Young learners practice motor skills and blend science, art, and math…

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RAFT Hall of Fame | Class of 2021

Sep 23, 2021 | Comments Off on RAFT Hall of Fame | Class of 2021

Congratulations to our 2021 STEAM Teachers of the Year, RAFT Heroes, RAFT Partner of the Year and RAFT Volunteer Award winners! Thank you for all you do for our students, our education community, and RAFT! STEAM Teachers of the Year Melissa NakamuraLagunita Elementary School…

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2021 Found At RAFT Special Event

Sep 23, 2021 | Comments Off on 2021 Found At RAFT Special Event

On September 22, 2021, RAFT hosted it’s annual event, Found At RAFT. The resources that educators, parents, and students need for success can be Found at RAFT. During the virtual event, guests were able to learn more about RAFT, honor people and organizations that…

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