RAFT Blog, News, and Events

🏆 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…

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,…

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…

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…

RAFT’s $5 Million Endowment: Securing the Future of Education

Oct 30, 2024 | Comments Off

RAFT has taken a bold step towards securing the future of hands-on learning with the announcement of a $5 million endowment. This fund will ensure affordable STEAM materials for educators and provide ongoing support for innovation in education. Learn how RAFT is building a lasting impact for generations to come.

Maker Mobile Highlights: Shoutout to Our Near-Peer Mentors

Sep 26, 2024 | Comments Off

At RAFT, we believe in the power of hands-on STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) education to inspire creativity and innovation among young students. Our Maker Mobile brings STEAM learning directly to schools and communities in the greater Bay Area, engaging K-8 students…

Annual Fundraiser Recap: Level Up for STEAM Education

Sep 20, 2024 | Comments Off

On Wednesday, September 18, 2024, RAFT hosted its annual fundraising event: Level Up. Over 140 supporters were present at RAFT, which was transformed into a beautiful space for the special event for the night. That evening, we honored the individuals and organizations that have…

RAFT Hall of Fame | Class of 2024

Sep 20, 2024 | Comments Off

Congratulations to our 2024 STEAM Educators of the Year, RAFT Hero, RAFT Volunteers of the Year, and RAFT Partner of the Year! Thank you for all you do for our educators, students, our community, and RAFT! STEAM Educators of the Year Rebecca Balster Ocala…

RAFT Teams Up with Ross Stores Foundation to Enhance STEAM Education

Sep 4, 2024 | Comments Off

At RAFT (Resource Area For Teaching), we are committed to ensuring that every student has the opportunity to engage in hands-on learning that ignites curiosity and fosters creativity. We are excited to share that, thanks to a substantial grant from the Ross Stores Foundation,…

Empowering Girls in STEM

Jul 31, 2024 | Comments Off

Resource Area For Teaching (RAFT) is excited to announce a partnership with High-Tech High Heels Silicon Valley (HTHH-SV) and Scientific Adventures for Girls (SAfG). As all three organizations are committed to more accessible STEAM learning for underrepresented groups, this project will help increase accessibility…