RESOURCE AREA FOR TEACHING
1355 RIDDER PARK DRIVE, SAN JOSE, CA 95131 www.raft.net

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Organizations Filed Purposes: RAFT BELIEVES THAT EVERY CHILD DESERVES A POWERFUL LEARNING EXPERIENCE. RAFT'S MISSION IS TO INSPIRE JOY THROUGH HANDS ON LEARNING.

RESOURCE AREA FOR TEACHING'S (RAFT) MISSION IS TO INSPIRE JOY THROUGH HANDS ON LEARNING.

EDUCATION PROGRAMS & MATERIALS: RAFT PROVIDES HANDS-ON TOOLS AND TRAINING TO EDUCATORS, HELPING THEM ENGAGE THEIR STUDENTS FOR DEEPER LEARNING IN THEIR CLASSROOMS. RAFT ALSO INCORPORATES TRAININGS AND EVENTS FROM OUR CORPORATE AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS TO FACILITATE ADDITIONAL TRAINING AND PROVIDE ACCESS FOR EDUCATORS TO INDUSTRY KNOWLEDGE. OUR PROFESSIONAL LEARNING SESSIONS ALLOW TEACHERS TO LEARN NEW SKILLS, SHARE BEST PRACTICES AND GROW AS AN EDUCATIONAL COMMUNITY. IN 2018, RAFT SERVED OVER 8,000 TEACHERS THROUGH PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, EVENTS, KITS, AND TRAININGS. RAFT ALSO CREATES CURRICULA AND HANDS-ON LEARNING ACTIVITIES THAT ALIGN WITH CURRENT EDUCATIONAL STANDARDS AND PROVIDE EDUCATORS WITH AFFORDABLE OPTIONS FOR USE IN THEIR CLASSROOMS TO INSPIRE A LIFELONG LOVE OF LEARNING AMONG THEIR STUDENTS. IN 2019, RAFT ASSEMBLED APPROXIMATELY 40,000 ACTIVITY KITS TO IMPACT OVER 500,000 STUDENTS.

RESOURCE CENTERS & WEBSITE: RAFT HAS A MEMBER RESOURCE CENTER IN SAN JOSE, WHERE MEMBERS ARE ABLE TO SHOP FOR AFFORDABLE, PRE-PACKAGED LEARNING ACTIVITIES, UPCYCLED BULK MATERIALS, AND ADDITIONAL CLASSROOM SUPPLIES. OUR USE OF REPURPOSED AND DONATED MATERIALS ALLOWS US TO KEEP OUR PRICES LOW, OFTEN UP TO 80% LOWER THAN COMPARABLE RETAIL PRICES. THIS AFFORDABILITY IS IMPERATIVE TO EDUCATORS, AS TEACHERS ARE OFTEN EXPECTED TO PAY UP TO $2,000 ANNUALLY OUT OF POCKET TO FUND THEIR CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES. IN 2019, RAFT'S MAKERSPACE ALLOWED MEMBERS TO PROCESS MATERIALS AND CREATE CUSTOMIZABLE TEACHING TOOLS, FREE AS A MEMBER SERVICE. MEMBERS CAN INTERACT WITH OUR MACHINERY, INCLUDING LASER CUTTERS, AND THE ASSOCIATED SOFTWARE TO CREATE NECESSARY CLASSROOM SUPPLIES AND LEARNING ACTIVITIES. AT OUR VOLUNTEER RESOURCE CENTER & WAREHOUSE IN SUNNYVALE, DONATED MATERIALS ARE SORTED AND APPROXIMATELY 6,000 COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS PREP AND ASSEMBLE HANDS ON LEARNING KITS ANNUALLY. OUR WEBSITE AND ONLINE STORE OFFER 24/7 ACCESS TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES. IN 2019, EDUCATORS FROM ALMOST 100 COUNTRIES VISITED OUR FREE ONLINE LIBRARY OF OVER 750 EDUCATIONAL IDEA SHEETS.

MATERIALS DONATION/UPCYCLING PROGRAM: IN 2019, RAFT DIVERTED OVER 300 CUBIC TONS OF MATERIALS FROM LANDFILL AND MADE THEM AVAILABLE FOR MEMBERS IN OUR RESOURCE CENTERS. RAFT HAS WORKED WITH 240 BAY AREA COMPANIES TO COLLECT AND UPCYCLE MATERIALS THEY NO LONGER NEED, FROM OFFICE SUPPLIES TO LAB EQUIPMENT, SO THAT RAFT CAN REPURPOSE THEM INTO HANDS-ON LEARNING MATERIALS. MEMBERS CAN ALSO BUY THEM IN BULK TO CREATE THEIR OWN LEARNING MATERIALS. SINCE BEING FOUNDED IN 1994, RAFT HAS RECEIVED OVER 3 MILLION CUBIC FEET OF DONATED MATERIALS. RAFT ADDRESSED EDUCATORS' NEEDS AND PROVIDED EDUCATIONAL MATERIAL THAT FULFILLS NECESSARY STANDARDS TO PREPARE STUDENTS FOR FUTURE CAREERS.

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