Why Give to RAFT?
Together, we are making a positive impact on our kids' education. We know that hands-on learning engages students, boosts their learning by making meaningful connections to the world around them, and helps them build critical 21st century skills. By supporting teachers with affordable tools and training to effectively embrace hands-on learning with their students, we are helping them inspire the next generation of leaders and innovators.
A recent study on the impact of RAFT's hands-on activities found compelling evidence of increased student learning in math subject areas, as well as a high level of student engagement and demonstration of 21st century skills. View the executive summary of the report.
- The greatest gains were seen on problems that required students to apply a principle they had learned to a real-world scenario.
- After students participated in a RAFT hands-on activity, the number of correct responses on a math-related word problem increased by 200% for 6th graders and 32% for 4th graders. - Gains were seen across a broad spectrum of student learning styles, socio-economic profiles and cultural backgrounds.
- Educators in the study were able to effectively use RAFT activities with their students regardless of their experience in the profession or their own skill level teaching the subject.
- Classroom observations and student feedback reflected a high level of engagement with the activities.
- 98% of fourth graders and 91% of sixth graders said they would like to keep doing hands-on activities like the one they participated in. - Students who participated in the activities demonstrated 21st century skills, such as problem solving and collaboration.
Fourth grade students were asked to choose from a list of words and phrases the ones that best described their experience with the activity they participated in. The bigger the word, the more frequently it was chosen.
RAFT Continues to Break Down the Barriers to Hands-on Education
RAFT now has a hands-on project idea for every California K-8 math and science curriculum standard, making it easy, convenient and affordable for teachers to integrate hands-on activities into their everyday teaching. Click below to see our math and science coverage maps.
