High School Students From 37 States to Compete for National
Honors at the Seventh Annual National
ProStart Invitational
Chicago,
IL- National Restaurant Association Solutions
announced today that 37 states will be sending ProStart™
high school students to compete at the seventh annual National
ProStart Invitational from April 24-26th, 2008
at the Town and Country Resort & Convention Center
in San Diego, Calif. At this
fast-paced competition, teams of students that won first place
in their state culinary and/or management competitions compete
for the national title, as well as scholarships to continue
their education at colleges and universities across the country.
In 2007, $1.3 million in scholarships were awarded to winning
students.
"This
event is the culmination of many months of hard work and dedication
for these students, who represent the top tier of ProStart students
nationwide. At the competition, they have the opportunity to
network with leaders of our industry and demonstrate their mastery
of the culinary and management skills needed to build a successful
career in the industry," said Bill Nolan,
director of ProStart, National Restaurant Association
Solutions. "These outstanding students are competing
not only for scholarships and awards, but for the admiration
of their future colleagues."
The
National ProStart Invitational consists of two competitions:
culinary and management. Teams
participating in the culinary competition will
demonstrate their creative abilities through the preparation
of a meal consisting of a starter, entrée and dessert
in 60 minutes. The management competition will
highlight a team's knowledge of the restaurant and foodservice
industry by competing in a case study, where students are tested
on their communication skills and ability to apply their industry
knowledge to practical situations, as well as a question-and-answer
"game show"-style event. The National ProStart
Invitational is also a learning opportunity for the
students, as they meet with the judges for valuable feedback
on the culinary and case study events.
More
than 4,200 students across the globe will compete at the state
level to earn the chance to advance to the national competition,
with only 300 students moving on to the National ProStart Invitational.
This year, three states are participating in the National
ProStart Invitational for the first time - Montana,
New Jersey and South Dakota.
The complete roster of states and territories sending teams
of students to participate in the culinary and/or management
competitions includes: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California,
Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Guam, Illinois, Indiana,
Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri,
Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York,
North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, South
Dakota, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Washington D.C., West Virginia,
Wisconsin and Wyoming.
The
Coca-Cola Company is the premier sponsor of
the National ProStart Invitational, awarding
scholarships to pursue a college education to the first through
fifth place teams in both the culinary and management competitions.
The top three winning teams from each competition will also
be awarded medals. Additional sponsors include Coach's Low
Country Brands, Culinary Arts Academy, Darden Restaurants, QSR
Magazine, The Art Institutes, The Culinary Institute of America,
Le Cordon Bleu Schools North America, Chef Works, Golden Corral,
The J.M. Smucker Company, Mercer Cutlery, Professional Culinary
Institute, The Walt Disney Company and Whole Foods.
The
ProStart program encompasses approximately 60,000 students
and 1,600 teachers in 47 states, territories and districts.
The career-building program was developed by the National
Restaurant Association Educational Foundation and is
managed nationally by National Restaurant Association
Solutions in conjunction with state restaurant associations.
This partnership brings restaurant and foodservice operators,
educators, and government officials together to coordinate the
program in each state. The restaurant and foodservice industry
is one of the largest employers in the U.S. with 13.1 million
employees, and an additional 2 million positions will be added
over the next decade. To help meet that challenge, ProStart
is building a pipeline of qualified individuals ready to take
leadership roles within the industry.
The
ProStart program is a two-year curriculum designed
to teach high school students the management skills needed for
a career in the restaurant and foodservice industry. When students
pass two national exams, complete a checklist of competencies,
and participate in at least 400 hours of a mentored work experience,
they are awarded the ProStart National Certificate of Achievement
that signifies they are well qualified to enter the industry
workforce. For more information on the ProStart program
and National ProStart Invitational, please
visit www.weareprostart.org.