RAFT Blog, News, and Events

Featured Articles and News

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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Bringing Stories to Life: RAFT’s Intersession Program at Northwood Elementary

March 18, 2025

This winter, Northwood Elementary students in Berryessa School District embarked on a creative journey through RAFT’s three-day Intersession program. Designed to spark imagination and hands-on learning, the program engaged 66 students in grades K-5 in the art of puppet-making, storytelling, and performance, culminating in a special showcase for families. Student-made marionette puppets displayed with crafting…

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DreamBox Impact Series: Oak Grove School District

February 27, 2025

Empowering Newcomers Through Hands-On STEAM Learning In Summer 2024, students at Oak Grove School District‘s Newcomer Summer Academy embarked on an innovative hands-on STEAM adventure. Through RAFT’s creative reuse materials and engaging activity kits, 75 students explored the mysteries of space while strengthening their English language skills, guided by 3 dedicated teachers. Hands-on learning is…

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Sparking Curiosity through Hands-On Learning with Jeffrey and Maureen Fox

February 26, 2025

For over 30 years, RAFT has provided resources and support to local educators and students. RAFT’s commitment to hands-on learning for STEAM subjects has evolved to include activities such as STEAM Project Kits, as well as programs like our Makerspace and Maker Mobile activities, and most recently a STEAM Dream Summer Camp for students around…

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RAFT Colorado: Waste Diversion With a Purpose: Recycling Materials for Education

Feb 10, 2017 | Comments Off on RAFT Colorado: Waste Diversion With a Purpose: Recycling Materials for Education

BY JULIANA LYTKOWSKI ON FEBRUARY 1, 2017 Shaping the future of education, by recycling. On average, teachers spend about $500 of their own money on supplies for their classroom and students, and many companies and manufacturers unknowingly throw away items that could help alleviate…

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RAFT Hires New Director of Development Mizgon Darby

Feb 1, 2017 | Comments Off on RAFT Hires New Director of Development Mizgon Darby

SAN JOSE, CALIF. – February 1, 2017 – RAFT – Resource Area for Teaching, the leading solution center to help educators in transforming a child’s learning experience through hands-on education, is excited to welcome our new Director of Development, Mizgon Darby. “In the last…

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RAFT Announces Cyber Security Learning Module and Design Challenge Kit

Jan 10, 2017 | Comments Off on RAFT Announces Cyber Security Learning Module and Design Challenge Kit

San Jose, CA, January 10, 2017: There is a growing need for a digitally literate workforce that uses technology in a safe and secure way. Through a generous grant from Symantec Corporation, the global leader in cyber security, RAFT has developed a cyber security…

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San Jose K-8 School Adopts RAFT Makerspace

Dec 15, 2016 | Comments Off on San Jose K-8 School Adopts RAFT Makerspace

SAN JOSE, CALIF. – December 15, 2016 – RAFT (Resource Area For Teaching) and members from the Orchard School community together created a new makerspace. With the help of Project Ember, the group of students, parents, teachers, school administrators, and RAFT employees transformed an…

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RAFT’s ‘Reason for the Seasons’ and ‘Time for Shadows’ Idea Sheets Help Students Understand What Causes Our Seasons

Nov 30, 2016 | Comments Off on RAFT’s ‘Reason for the Seasons’ and ‘Time for Shadows’ Idea Sheets Help Students Understand What Causes Our Seasons

Use Hands-On Activities to Teach Seasonal Variations SAN JOSE, CALIF. – November 30, 2016 – RAFT – Resource Area for Teaching, the leading solution center to help educators in transforming a child’s learning experience through hands-on education, announces the res 2016 is coming on December…

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RAFT Activity Teaches Programming Without the Need for Devices in Preparation for Computer Science Education Week

Nov 29, 2016 | Comments Off on RAFT Activity Teaches Programming Without the Need for Devices in Preparation for Computer Science Education Week

SAN JOSE, CALIF. – November 29, 2016 – RAFT – Computers are everywhere and success in the future will increasingly depend on understanding how technology works.  Unfortunately fewer than half of all schools teach computer science. The Hour of Code is a one-hour introduction,…

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