RAFT Selected as High-Tech High Heels Silicon Valley Winter Grant Recipient for STEAM Programming

Resource Area for Teachers (RAFT) is proud to have been selected as one of three High-Tech High Heels Silicon Valley (HTHH-SV) Winter 2023 Grant recipients. Launched in 2019, HTHH-SV is the SF Bay Area Chapter of a national nonprofit dedicated to increasing the number of women working in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) careers. As school districts across the San Francisco Bay Area place increasing emphasis on STEAM (including arts) content in their curriculum, the receipt of HTHH-SV Winter 2023 Grant will play a key role in helping RAFT inspire the next generation of innovators to prototype and build new solutions to real-world problems.

RAFT’s selection as a grantee signals a growing awareness of the importance of RAFT’s mission to help teachers provide trajectory-changing STEAM content in classroom, afterschool and summer program settings – especially in underserved school districts.

“I am excited about this new partnership with RAFT and HTHH-SV to work together to bridge the equity gap in STEAM education amongst underserved students in the Bay Area. Thank you for this grant!” – Nivisha Mehta, Chief Development Officer.

To determine grant winners, HTHH-SV rigorously reviewed applications based on their ability to deliver hands-on STEM programs that meet specific criteria, including preparing girls academically for successful college study in STEM fields and producing measurable results that show a positive impact on closing the gender gap.

RAFT is excited to direct the HTHH-SV Winter 2023 Grant funds toward deepening the impact of our award winning summer program, STEAM Dream Camp, which academically aligns with both Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and Habits of Mind and Social Emotional Learning standards. Using hands-on problem solving and fun design challenges, K – 8 students enrolled in STEAM Dream Camp develop skills that are critical for career readiness in science and technology fields, including data interpretation and logical thinking.

Through HTHH-SV’s support, RAFT is positioned to provide more under-resourced students with access to our summer and afterschool STEAM programs, and to support more stipends for credentialed teachers to lead the camps.

RAFT is honored to be one of the first organizations to receive a HTHH-SV Winter 2023 Grant, and we look forward to continued partnership as both organizations work towards greater accessibility to STEAM education in our communities.

About Resource Area for Teaching (RAFT)

Resource Area For Teaching (RAFT) is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting educators and inspiring hands-on learning.