49ers EDU presented by Chevron today announced the public availability of their new STEAM education project kit created in collaboration with RAFT (Resource Area for Teaching), a nonprofit providing educators with engaging hands-on learning resources and integral resource for Bay Area educators. Made possible by support from SAP, the project kit comes with all required materials, assembly instructions and suggested activities providing an engaging and collaborative way to learn STEAM concepts. Educators can now reserve free project kits for their classrooms at RAFT.net.
Designed for grades K-5, the "Articulated Leg" project kit challenges students to engineer a device that can kick a ball into a goal of their creation. Along the way, students explore biomimicry, design thinking, Next Generation Science Standards for Engineering, and several related Math and ELA Common Core State Standards. Each student can create their own personalized device while being encouraged to share ideas and designs among their peers. This kit is the first in a series of football-related STEAM projects that 49ers EDU, RAFT and SAP will introduce to students.
"We are proud of the work and curriculum we've developed internally here at 49ers EDU and are always eager to collaborate with external partners like SAP and RAFT that can significantly enhance the impact we can have on local youth," said 49ers EDU Director Jesse Lovejoy. "We are excited to bring this resource to educators at zero cost and see how they inspire STEAM learning in local classrooms throughout the Bay Area."
RAFT has been supporting Bay Area educators for nearly 30 years with both physical and online shops. The organization was founded on the realization by a local teacher that recycled materials could be used to a greater extent in classrooms. Built on sustainability, a common core value with the 49ers and SAP, RAFT turns donated materials into inexpensive school supplies and project kits, enabling the nonprofit to be a certified green organization. The nonprofit diverts 300 tons of materials from landfills annually, nearly 700 cubic feet daily. This business model has helped thousands of Bay Area educators to effectively implement hands-on learning techniques that improve STEAM education.
"We are excited to partner with 49ers EDU to create engaging hands-on activities and place them in the hands of students," said RAFT Senior Director of Education Chase Davenport. "Through this collaboration we strive to help teachers bring STEAM alive through the lens of professional sports, engineering and design thinking. In partnership, we hope that this will be one in a series of free resources for teachers that bring relevant, student -led STEAM learning opportunities to the core day curriculum."
"We're excited to team up with 49ers EDU and RAFT to bring sustainable STEAM education kits to Bay Area educators," said SAP Vice President of Global Partnerships Dan Fleetwood. "Through this program we aspire to create awareness of sustainable teaching materials and inspire youth to pursue careers in STEAM. This is only the beginning of a long-term collaboration with 49ers EDU and RAFT."
As part of this collaboration, 49ers EDU and RAFT will create 2,500 "Articulated Leg" kits to be distributed throughout the Bay Area school system. This unique partnership builds upon EDU's goal of creating new avenues for education enhancement not reliant on being physically present with students. The 49ers EDU Digital Playbook (available in English & Spanish), the Digital Playbook Review Series and Virtual Lessons, along with collaborations with external education entities like RAFT and Endless Key, are just a few of the many ways the award-winning education arm of the 49ers Foundation has contributed to local education.
In 2021 alone, 49ers EDU digital resources impacted upwards of 127,000 students. To learn more about 49ers EDU, please visit 49ers.com/edu.
