$5,000 grants can be used to enhance the classroom experience with curriculum, supplies, and equipment.
RALEIGH, NC — Garinger High School in Charlotte is one of 40 high schools nationwide selected to receive a $5,000 grant from The Rachael Ray Foundation and the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) to enhance their ProStart culinary arts and restaurant management program with new equipment, curriculum, and experiential learning opportunities.
Tasha Jackson, the CTE HS Culinary Arts teacher at Garinger High School, has been recognized as a recipient of the prestigious Rachael Ray Grow Grant. This grant will sponsor student travel to a leadership conference this fall and purchase supplies to expand the raised beds on campus. These enhancements will support class lessons related to sustainability and farm-to-table student-based enterprises.
“We are thrilled to receive this grant, which will significantly enhance our culinary arts program,” said Jackson. “The new equipment and supplies will provide our students with hands-on learning experiences that are crucial for their development and success in the hospitality industry.”
“Providing Grow Grants is one of my favorite times of the year. The educators who invest their passion and energy into their classrooms are inspiring. I love to see the impact their work has on the students who graduate from ProStart with the knowledge and excitement for the restaurant industry,” said Rachael Ray.
ProStart educators play a pivotal role in the program’s success in more than 2,100 high schools nationwide, blending its core curriculum with hands-on industry engagement activities, including special speakers, class mentors, and tours of local culinary facilities. The 2024 grant application was open to existing ProStart schools, or those looking to join the program in the coming school year. The NRAEF anticipates that the grants will benefit more than 3,700 students and 42 teachers across 22 states.
In the last five years,153 ProStart Grow Grants have been awarded to schools showing a strong desire to engage students through ProStart’s industry-leading career and technical education program. In addition to classroom grants, The Rachael Ray Foundation and the Yum-o! organization have sponsored more than 260 scholarships for students pursuing post-secondary degrees in the restaurant and hospitality industry.
“ProStart Grow Grants are a gamechanger for many ProStart classrooms, providing the support to add crucial curriculum, equipment, and experiences for students. We’re grateful for the partnership of The Rachael Ray Foundation, which is helping educators give their students a front row seat to all that a career in the restaurant industry offers,” said Rob Gifford, president of the NRAEF.
ProStart has equipped more than 214,000 students with the essentials of culinary arts and restaurant management through its two-year CTE program, found at a mix of public high schools and career technical education centers across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Students completing the program gain restaurant-specific certifications and competencies, over 400 hours of practical work experience, and access to restaurant and hospitality apprenticeship and scholarship opportunities. Learn more about ProStart here.
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: As the supporting philanthropic foundation of the National Restaurant Association, the NRAEF’s charitable mission includes 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/HOPES – Partnering with community based organizations to provide people 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 2023 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.
