Asheville High School and Southwestern Randolph High School are two of the 38 schools nationwide to receive grants from the Rachael Ray Foundation to build their ProStart Programs.
Washington – (June 9, 2022) – The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) today announced that Asheville High School and Southwestern Randolph High School are two of 38 high schools from across the country selected to receive a $5,000 grant to support their ProStart culinary and restaurant management programs through the Rachael Ray Foundation ProStart Grow Grant program.
Earlier this year, the Rachael Ray Foundation generously contributed $225,000 to the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation in support of ProStart Grow Grants. Schools with existing ProStart programs, or those looking to become part of the ProStart program, were invited to apply, with winning schools demonstrating how the ProStart program positively impacts, or could impact, their students and the community.
“The Rachael Ray ProStart Grow Grant will be used to help offset the cost of supplies for our school-based enterprise, allow us to update our classroom uniforms and offer support to our competition team. The grant will help us to promote the program within our school and community and allow for professional opportunities for students and teachers. ProStart is a program that can change the lives of students who choose to pursue their passion in the culinary arts and hospitality industry.” – Sara Monson, Culinary Educator, Asheville High School
“We are so thankful for the Rachael Ray Foundation and their efforts to help us support our ProStart schools in North Carolina!” – Kecia Taylor, ProStart Coordinator, NC Restaurant & Lodging Association
To-date, the Rachael Ray Foundation ProStart Grow Grant Program has provided $590,000 to schools demonstrating a strong need to engage and educate high school students interested in exploring restaurant and foodservice careers. Learn more about the 2022 Rachael Ray ProStart Grow Grant winners here.
“ProStart programs, and the educators who support them, provide high school students across the country with skills they need to be successful throughout life,” said Rachael Ray, award-winning television personality and philanthropist. “We [The Rachael Ray Foundation] are proud to support the dreams, passion and hard work that these Grow Grant recipients display in their classrooms and schools as they cultivate the next generation of restaurant and foodservice professionals.”
A program of the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation, ProStart is a two-year technical education program found at more than 1,750 high schools and career and technical educational centers nationwide, teaching culinary techniques and restaurant management skills that build a lifetime foundation and support future careers in the restaurant industry. With 145,000 students enrolled across all states, the District of Columbia and Guam, the program teaches students through a combination of classroom and industry instruction. Find out more about ProStart at ChooseRestaurants.org/ProStart.
About the NCRLA Foundation: The NCRLA Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the North Carolina Restaurant & Lodging Association, helping to enhance the hospitality industry’s service to the public through education, community engagement, and promotion of career opportunities. The Foundation works to attract, develop, and retain a career-oriented professional workforce for the hospitality industry. For more information, please visit the Foundation website.
NCRLA Foundation awards scholarships in partnership with the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation. For more information, please visit www.nraef.org.
About the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF): As the philanthropic foundation of the National Restaurant Association, the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation’s (NRAEF) mission of service to the public is dedicated to enhancing the industry’s training and education, career development and community engagement efforts. The NRAEF and its programs work to Attract, Empower and Advance today’s and tomorrow’s restaurant and foodservice workforce. NRAEF programs include: ProStart® – a high-school career and technical education program; Restaurant Ready – partnering with community based organizations to provide “opportunity youth” with skills training and job opportunities; Military – helping military servicemen and women transition their skills to restaurant and foodservice careers; Scholarships – financial assistance for students pursuing restaurant, foodservice and hospitality degrees; and the Restaurant & Hospitality Leadership Center (RHLC) – accredited apprenticeship programs designed to build the careers of service professionals. For more information on the NRAEF, visit ChooseRestaurants.org.
Click here for the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation’s 2021 Annual Impact Report.
About The Rachael Ray Foundation: The Rachael Ray Foundation™ (RRF) is a private foundation that is fully funded by the proceeds from the sale of Rachael Ray™ Nutrish®. RRF was launched by Rachael in 2016 to better support the causes she cares for most such as helping animals in need. Additionally, RRF works with organizations that support the mission of Yum-o!, Rachael’s 501c3, in order to bolster and amplify their efforts through additional funding. Yum-o! empowers kids and their families to develop healthy relationships with food and cooking. It also teaches families to cook, feeds hungry kids, and funds cooking education, among other initiatives.
About ProStart: ProStart – the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation’s two-year culinary program for high school students reaches more than 130,000 students in 1,700 high schools the country. North Carolina’s ProStart program is run by the North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association Foundation (NCRLF) and the National Restaurant Association Education Foundation, and provides high school and college academic credit, scholarships, and paid work experience opportunities for students.
For more information on the ProStart program, visit chooserestaurants.org/prostart or find us on Twitter or Facebook.
