RAFT Blog, News, and Events

RAFT is Bay Area Parent’s Best of the Best (Again!)

September 5, 2023

RAFT is pleased to have been selected as a Bay Area Parent Magazine 2023 Best of the Best Tutoring or Education Support Program. This is the fourth consecutive year RAFT has finished at the top of the list thanks to our comprehensive in-person and online educational offerings, including STEAM Project Kits, Maker Mobile van visits, makerspace builds, tailored educator workshops and more.

From Camper to Camp Counselor: Yiesha R.’s STEAM Dream Story

May 24, 2023

For brand new campers, the first day of camp is filled with curiosity, a few stomach butterflies and a ton of anticipation for the exciting adventures to come. But what about the first day of camp for a new camp counselor? And what if that camp counselor used to be a camper herself? We caught…

RAFT STEAM Teachers of the Year 2022

May 31, 2022

Congratulations to our 2022 STEAM Teachers of the Year! RAFT’s STEAM Teacher of the Year Awards recognize outstanding pre-K-12 teachers in the Bay Area who incorporate effective hands-on learning and/or maker education into their curriculum. Each awardee demonstrates excellence in teaching in at least one of the following areas: Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, or Math. RAFT…

Happy International Day of Education from RAFT!

January 24, 2022

Today the world celebrates International Day of Education! Not only do we recognize the contributions of teachers, the personal development of students, and the hard work of everyone in the education field, but we also take today to recognize the role of education for the world. Education can unlock every individual’s potential and pave the…

Assistive Technology for all Learners

Jun 15, 2016 |

By Courtney Hunter, Resource Specialist Three percent of students in every classroom need some accommodations or assistance to achieve proficiency in academic subject areas. Not only are students not getting accommodations, many aren’t making significant progress either. Using minor technology devices in the classroom…

RAFT’s Summer of Fun Includes Camps for Teachers & Kids!

Jun 2, 2016 |

Want to stoke the creative innovator in you and your students? Ever wonder what it takes to design an engaging project or design challenge? Interested in generating your own project based learning experiences but don’t know where to start? What does it mean to…

RAFT and the Community Support 10,000 Student Learning Experiences

May 31, 2016 | Comments Off

Together with help from the Santa Clara community, RAFT and Intel created 10,000 student experiences using hands-on learning kits. Resource Area for Teaching (RAFT), Intel, and the Santa Clara community came together to build 1,000 educational kits to help support hands-on learning. The kits…

Student Coaching Works

May 19, 2016 |

By Elisha Burns, RAFT Fellow Older students helping the younger ones garden To increase student engagement, I say let the students take the lead. I have found that my students do their best work when they are put into a position of leadership. My…

Introducing Parents to STEAM

May 12, 2016 |

Rita Mercado, First Grade Teacher, Serendipity School The idea of having parents come into the classroom can be overwhelming at times, but it is an important step in having them gain an understanding of the learning that happens throughout the day that isn’t able…

RAFT Thanks Teachers During Teacher Appreciation Week

May 2, 2016 | Comments Off

The week of May 2nd, educators all over the country are thanked for their efforts in teaching. When it comes to student performance on reading and math tests, a teacher is estimated to have two to three times the impact of any other school…