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…

RAFT – Found Engineering

Nov 3, 2022 | Comments Off

At RAFT we strongly believe that hands-on learning is crucial to a student’s development and learning. Students who are more physically engaged in the learning experience tend to have a deeper understanding with higher engagement and improved outcomes. Hands-on activities require materials that can…

Arista Funds RAFT Makerspace Build at Local Elementary School

Oct 20, 2022 | Comments Off

With its goal to provide educators with STEAM learning resources, Resource Area for Teaching (RAFT), a non-profit organization founded in 1994, organized a makerspace build for the Kathryn Hughes Elementary School in Santa Clara. RAFT believes that makerspaces are a great way to encourage…

RAFT Participates in Viva EscuelaSJ

Oct 12, 2022 | Comments Off

October is International Walk to School month! The CDC recommends that children ages 3 through 5 years need to be active throughout the day, while children and adolescents ages 6 through 17 need to be active for 60 minutes every day (see here for…

2022 Fall Sale & Membership Drive

Oct 2, 2022 | Comments Off

As we were welcomed by cooler temperatures and falling leaves, RAFT held its annual Membership Drive on October 1st and 2nd, 2022. On Saturday, RAFT brought out its best and deeply discounted items from the store for a Parking Lot Sale open to the…

RAFT Hall of Fame | Class of 2022

Sep 21, 2022 | Comments Off

Congratulations to our 2022 STEAM Teachers of the Year, RAFT Heroes, RAFT Volunteer Awardees, and RAFT Partner of the Year! Thank you for all you do for our educators, students, our community, and RAFT! STEAM Teachers of the Year Kim Brown STEAM Teacher, Raymond…

CSI:RAFT 2022 Annual Fundraiser

Sep 21, 2022 | Comments Off

On September 21, 2022, RAFT hosted its annual fundraising event. This year’s event, CSI:RAFT, highlighted what resources are needed to have an engaging classroom. We had over 100 in-person attendees while 20 joined us online. During the hybrid event, guests were able to learn…