$5,000 grant can be used to enhance the classroom experience with curriculum, supplies, and equipment.
North Lamar High School is one of forty-eight high schools across the United States that has been selected to receive a $5,000 grant from The Rachael Ray Foundation and the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation to expand its culinary and restaurant management classroom experience through the ProStart® career and technical education (CTE) program – with the goal of equipping students for future careers in the restaurant industry.
This grant will be used to purchase updated equipment for the Culinary Arts department, chef uniforms for our ProStart competition teams, and my attendance at the National Prostart Educator Conference, where I will become a Certified ProStart Educator.
“We’re thrilled to receive this grant for North Lamar High School! New culinary equipment means more creativity, more learning, and more opportunities for our students to grow into confident chefs and food professionals. This support will help us take our program to the next level.” Said NLHS Culinary instructor, Amanda King.
The Rachael Ray Foundation ProStart Grow Grants represent an investment in the ProStart classroom experience, which fosters passion for the restaurant industry and skills for young people to pursue future careers once they leave high school.
Tasked with equipping students through the program’s unique blend of hands-on learning and experiential industry engagement, ProStart educators teach a range of culinary techniques and best practices and guide their students through the intricacies of managing a restaurant effectively.
Thanks to the program’s emphasis on hands-on learning and mentorship, ProStart students emerge from the high school program ready to work in a professional kitchen or advance to higher education.
“Teachers are essential to a successful ProStart classroom experience, instilling knowledge about the restaurant industry and the passion young people need to build a lifelong career in it,” said Michelle Korsmo, President & CEO of the National Restaurant Association and CEO of the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation. “These grants are more than an investment in a culinary program – they equip teachers with what they need to spark creativity, confidence, and a desire to chase the opportunity that’s abundant in our industry.”
