Adobe Dollars and Volunteers Give Educators a One-Stop Shop for Hands-on Materials and Training

Educators in the San Francisco Bay Area know they have a special place to go for low-cost classroom materials and hands-on training about science, math, technology, and art. It's the Resource Area for Teachers (RAFT) in San Jose.

Opened in 1995, RAFT stocks surplus materials-from cardboard tubes to computers-donated by more than 1,000 local businesses, including Adobe. Four truckloads of materials arrive at RAFT's giant warehouse five days a week. Each year, RAFT diverts more than 170,000 cubic feet of reusable materials from local landfills, while some 5,000 teachers shop and train at RAFT to enrich the learning experience of nearly 800,000 children.

A longtime Adobe Community Investment Partner, RAFT is a beehive of activity. On one Thursday evening per month, a crew of Adobe San Jose volunteers sorts donations and assembles teaching kits. Volunteering at RAFT has become a popular choice for Adobe team-building events, which can include 20 or more employees at a time. In 2002, RAFT built 4,500 teaching kits, each serving 25 students. In 2003, the organization built 14,500 kits and expects that number to keep growing.

Adobe also donates software licenses for RAFT's computer labs and administrative offices and for distribution to teachers. Under contract, RAFT manages Adobe's Teach the Teacher training program, which helps K-12 educators effectively use Adobe software as a means of bringing technology into their classrooms. The courses are free at three area locations, and completion counts as Continuing Education Units required by local school districts.

Most of all, RAFT is passionate about hands-on learning and making it available in the classroom. Adobe's 2003 cash grant of US$10,000 supports RAFT's Professional Training Program, a series of workshops that help teachers develop creative, interactive activities tied to state standards. It is the only local program to offer free instructional materials along with training, greatly increasing the likelihood that teachers will be able to implement their project ideas and engage students in learning activities.
Learn more about the Resource Area for Teachers

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