Thank You, Teachers: KLA Foundation Partners with RAFT to Support Educators
In celebration of Teacher Appreciation Week, the KLA Foundation and Resource Area For Teaching (RAFT) will provide all TK-8 teachers at Santa Clara Unified School District and Milpitas Unified School District with a year of RAFT membership and $50 in-store credit to support their classroom needs. In addition to these resources, the districts will also receive educator training and visits from the RAFT Maker Mobile in the 2024-2025 school year.
With a membership, educators have access to materials at the RAFT store and Educator Workroom (including equipment such as laminators, 3D printers, laser cutter, die-cuts, etc.). RAFT’s store features hands-on learning materials, such as our STEAM Project Kits, classroom and craft supplies, furniture, and more. RAFT’s hands-on learning materials help educators increase STEAM instruction by at least an hour a week and support educators to engage their students in hands-on learning.
A shopping spree at RAFT allows teachers to stretch their dollars, which is essential as teachers typically spend about $500 out of their own pockets annually to supply their classrooms.
RAFT will also provide teacher training sessions and Maker Mobile visits to the two districts. The workshops will take place at RAFT’s San Jose facility and introduce educators to hands-on learning techniques and how to incorporate them into their teaching, specifically in STEAM subjects. RAFT will also provide Maker Mobile visits to the two districts to show teachers how to incorporate hands-on learning and design challenges at their schools.
In previous engagements with RAFT, Milpitas TK teacher Wendy Lundeen shared, “My students loved it. …[My students] got to participate in design thinking, they got to build different projects, and really expand their knowledge, vocabulary, and language. ...You have to build vocabulary and background knowledge and the language, and we were able to do that through RAFT.”
“As a third-grade teacher and STEAM education enthusiast at Central Park, I've seen firsthand how transformative RAFT resources can be. Our recent training for parent volunteers, coupled with ongoing support for our staff, has empowered us to bring innovative STEAM education to all students. The RAFT kits are educational tools and gateways to creativity and
critical thinking. Through these kits, our students have engaged in design thinking and hands-on projects, significantly enhancing their understanding and use of academic language across subjects. RAFT has been instrumental in enriching our educational approach, benefiting our entire school community." Nicole Adel, 3rd-grade Central Park Elementary
KLA Foundation’s generous support will enable RAFT, Milpitas Unified School District, and Santa Clara Unified School District to deepen their partnership to ensure over 1,000 educators across both districts are supported in their teaching and can fully engage students in their learning. Thank you teachers for all that you do for our students and community!
Teachers at MUSD and SCUSD will receive instructions from their district for next steps. If you have any questions, please email raft@raft.net.