HTM March NewsBites 2026

 

 

 

 

 

 

2026 HTM COMPETITION RESULTS!

Last week, over 65 students from 18 Florida HTM programs competed in the 22nd Annual Hospitality & Tourism Management (HTM) Competition.  The students participated in categories including Hotel Operations, Hospitality Project, and the Knowledge Bowl. “These competitions are more than an event; they are an investment in the future of Florida’s hospitality industry,” said Carol Dover, President & CEO of FRLA. “By connecting students with real-world business challenges and industry mentors, we are building the next generation of culinary innovators, restaurant operators, and hospitality leaders.”

Winners were awarded scholarships from the FRLA Educational Foundation and Florida International University. Florida is the only state to host a statewide competition for the HTM program.

Overall

1st Place – Colonial High School

            Instructor:        Antoniella Paradiso

2nd Place – Stoneman Douglas High School

Instructor:         Mitchell Albert

 3rd Place – Olympia High School

Instructor:         Kristina Bryant

HOTEL OPERATIONS 

1st Place – Colonial High School

Instructor:         Antoniella Paradiso

Students:          Lourde Metelus, Anjali Gonzalez, Mia Antonella, Makai Randall

2nd Place – Cypress Creek High School

Instructor:         Reshedra Lyons

Students:          Ana De Rio Becerra, Lizamanda Frances, Mia Valentin, Camren Fells 

3rd Place – Olympia High School

Instructor:         Kristina Bryant

Students:          Audrey Heaton, Isabel Miller, Karly Sollars

HOSPITALITY PROJECT

1st Place – Colonial High School

Instructor:         Antoniella Paradiso

Students:          Lourde Metelus, Anjali Gonzalez, Mia Antonella, Makai Randall

2nd Place – TIE – Osceola High School

 Instructor:        Valerie Woodring

 Students:           Melinee Patayya, Aidelis Maccallum, Alex Gonzalez, Fabiola Flores

2nd Place – TIE – Robert Morgan Senior High School

Instructor:         Alina Hughes-Robinson

Students:          Destiny Grant, Christian Felton, Cristina Torres Marin, Nupur Joshi

3rd Place – Olympia High School

Instructor:         Kristina Bryant

Students:          Audrey Heaton, Isabel Miller, Karly Sollars

KNOWLEDGE BOWL

1st Place – Stoneman Douglas High School

Instructor:         Mitchell Albert

Students:          Courtney Shostack, Saya Greiner, Allison Ofstein, Emily Cichowicz 

2nd Place – Robert Morgan Senior School

Instructor:         Alina Hughes-Robinson

Students:          Destiny Grant, Christian Felton, Cristina Torres Marin, Nupur Joshi     

3rd Place – Windermere High School

Instructor:        Heather Kelly

Students:          Reese Boylan, Juliette Foradi, Sahana Siddavatam, Cayden Minner

COMPETITION PHOTOS

As soon as the competition video is finalized we will send it out.

HTM Teacher Training Registration Now Open! 

The 5th annual HTM Summer Training will take place July 13-15, 2026, at the Loews Sapphire Falls Resort in Orlando.

REQUIREMENTS   All attendees must teach the HTM curriculum during the upcoming 2026-2027 school year.
PROGRAM COST   The FRLAEF, along with its sponsors, covers the cost for all attendees. This includes instruction, lodging, and take-home educational materials. Most meals will be provided. Attendees will stay at the Loews Sapphire Falls Resort and will have their own room. FRLAEF will cover the cost of the room nights.

TRANSPORTATION   Attendees are responsible for their own transportation to the event.

AGENDA  The agenda is TBD.
REGISTRATION   Please complete this registration form no later than May 1, 2026

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

2026 FRLAEF Scholarship Application 

The FRLAEF will award at least $65,000 in scholarships during this Spring. Each scholarship awarded will be in the amount of $2,000 and will be a one-time, non-renewable scholarship.

To be eligible for this scholarship the applicant must:

  • Be enrolled in an HTM program in a Florida secondary school
  • Be a graduating senior who will begin post-secondary education in 2026
  • Be entering a culinary or hospitality post-secondary program
  • Return a copy of their OFFICIAL high school transcript to FRLAEF by application deadline

CLICK HERE TO APPLY

NRAEF & AHLEI Scholarships Available

NRAEF Scholarship application opened January 15.  The deadline to apply is March 15. CLICK HERE for the application page and info.

American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) Scholarships opened January 15.  The deadline to apply is March 23. CLICK HERE for the landing page and info.

Please note, these scholarships are separate from each other and different than the FRLAEF scholarships.  Between the FRLAEF, NRAEF and AHLEI there are a total of three different scholarship opportunities.

Smart Study for ServSafe

Help your students with ServSafe Manager exam preparation via adaptive learning techniques. ServSafe Smart Study Modules personalize learning based on each student’s unique needs and guides them to master the most critical course objectives. The program assesses individual knowledge, identifies and corrects misinformation, and redirects students to topic areas where they show struggle. The results are efficient learning, long-term retention, better prepared instructors and overall improved performance on exams.

Features include:
• Just in time multi-media “learning bursts” to address knowledge gaps
• Learning experience rooted in cognitive science for quick mastery and
long-term retention
• Confidence-based learning to improve performance and productivity

CLICK HERE to preview ServSafe Smart Study

For more information or to order, contact Lauren Robin at [email protected]

9th Edition ServSafe Manager Released

The new 9th edition ServSafe book is out, and they increased the price by $2.00. The supplemental links are below so students can still use the 7th edition. The new Coursebook will be released in April.

There won’t be any additional price increases for instructional materials.  However, Manager book-related products will see a modest increase of about 4% to help cover rising development and production costs—such as paper, printing, and distribution.

Product Existing Price New Price
ServSafe Manager Book (9e) $52.99 $54.99
ServSafe Manager Book (9e) and Answer Sheet $72.99 $75.99
ServSafe Manager Book (9e) and Exam Voucher $70.99 $73.99

The 9th Edition ServSafe Manager Instructor and Student resources are now available and can be accessed using the links below. Use these to see any updates for the 9th edition Manager book. Keep in mind, you do not need to purchase the new edition to teach ServSafe, you can use the information at the links below to teach anything new.

If you are interested in purchasing the 9th edition Manager book, contact Amy Parker at [email protected] for the price list or a quote.

HTM FaceBook Group

Join the Florida HTM FB page to share resources, ask questions, etc. CLICK HERE and then request to be added.

Hospitality Industry Internships

The Hospitality Industry Internship (HII) provides the opportunity for Florida HTM instructors to work in a foodservice/lodging establishment for at least 40 hours. Once the required paperwork has been processed, the participant will receive a personal check for $600.

To qualify for an HII, the instructor must teach the HTM curriculum during the 2025-2026 school year. If you are already employed at a restaurant or hotel, you MAY NOT use that site for your internship. The restaurant/hotel must be a new work experience for you, not somewhere you have worked before or used as an HII internship location.

The applicant must secure a position at a foodservice or lodging facility where a minimum of 40 hours of hands-on experience is guaranteed. The host location may pay the recipient but is not required to do so.

The FRLAEF will award 11 HII’s this school year on a first-come, first-served basis. So apply NOW! Work experience may begin once the applicant receives an award notification from the FRLAEF.

APPLY NOW!