2016-2017 ProStart Opportunities
The Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association Educational Foundation (FRLAEF) offers events, activities, monetary support as well as teacher and student support for your ProStart program. The FRLAEF believes participation in these activities can lead to a richer learning environment for you and your students. Events and opportunities are listed throughout the August NewsBites below.
Florida Restaurant & Lodging Show
The Florida Restaurant & Lodging Show will take place Tuesday, September 27 — Thursday, September 29, 2016 at the Orange
County Convention Center in Orlando. ProStart instructors are welcome to attend free of charge all three days of the Show. Student registration deadline was Friday, September 2, 2016.
TEACHER REGISTRATION FOR SHOW (use this registration if you would like to attend without students)
Go to Attendee Registration
Non-Member Registration
On the second screen, after you’ve entered mailing information, on the “Attendee Type” screen (select buyer/not buyer) there is a box that says “If you have a Discount Code please enter it here”.
Enter the code FRLA.
At the bottom of the very last screen, under “Transaction Detail” you will see the payment amount automatically calculates to $0.
September is National Food Safety Month
This year’s theme for National Food Safety Month (NFSM) is “Notorious Virus”! Join the National Restaurant Association (NRA) as they explore how to protect your guests from some of the leading causes of foodborne illness – Norovirus and Hepatitis A! Download the weekly activities, posters and infographics to keep your staff/students informed and engaged. Don’t forget to join the conversation on social media by using #NFSM and #NotoriousVirus.
National Food Safety Month was created in 1994 to heighten the awareness of food safety education. Each year, the NRA features a new theme and creates free training activities and posters for the restaurant and foodservice industry to help reinforce proper food safety practices and procedures.
CLICK HERE for five weeks of NFSM activities.
ServSafe During the FRLA Show–DEADLINE THIS MONTH!
The FRLAEF is offering the ServSafe review class and exam on Tuesday, September 27, 2016 during the FRLA Show. The exam 
review class begins at 9:00 am at the Orange County Convention Center. The exam begins at 2:00 pm following a break. Examinees will be taking the paper/pencil version of the exam. FRLAEF will cover the cost of the review class and exam for ProStart instructors. CLICK HERE TO REGISTER. You must use this link to get free registration. The deadline to register is Friday, September 16, 2016.
ProStart School Classification–*DEADLINE THIS MONTH!
At the beginning of each school year the FRLAEF asks schools to commit to their level of participation i
n the ProStart program. There are three levels of participation: PREMIER, FULL and CURRICULUM ONLY.
PREMIER LEVEL
The FRLAEF will determine which schools qualify as 2016-2017 Premier schools based on the benchmarks the school met during the 2015-2016 school year. In order to be classified as a Premier school for the 2016-2017 school year, the program must have done the required work during the 2015-2016 school year.
FULL OR CURRICULUM ONLY
Schools that have not earned the Premier level for the upcoming school year may choose between the Full and Curriculum Only classification. For schools that become Full ProStart schools, they have the opportunity to work towards becoming a Premier school for the 2017-2018 school year by meeting the 2016-2017 benchmarks.
PARTICIPATION COMMITMENT 
The FRLAEF will send an email to all ProStart schools containing classification details including which level of classification a school may achieve based on their 2015-2016 participation data.
Please read through the details of the classification carefully to determine if you will be able to meet the requirements before committing. In order to be classified at any level, you must have and be using both the Level One and Level Two Foundations textbooks.
If the FRLAEF does not receive your commitment form from by September 16, 2016, the FRLAEF will assume your school is a Curriculum Only program. This is an ANNUAL contract.
*If you did not receive your School Classification email (went out August 12, 2016), please let Amy Parker know at [email protected].
Mini Grants–DEADLINE THIS MONTH!
The FRLAEF is offering $80,000 in Mini Grant funding to Premiere and Full Florida ProStart schools this year. T
here is no fixed amount for individual grant awards, but to assist your planning, the average award last year was $772.
There are two prerequisites for grant funding: 1) you must currently teach the ProStart curriculum, and 2) you must be a Premiere or Full ProStart school.
The FRLAEF Board of Directors prefers to fund items that will make your classroom self-sustaining. If a piece of equipment is requested, it should be something that will be used frequently throughout the year.
The application deadline is Friday, September 16, 2016.
CLICK HERE for the online Mini Grant application.
GRANT AWARD NOTIFICATION: October 7, 2016. If awarded, funds must be spent no later than November 18, 2016.
NRAEF Data Collection (Fall Survey)
The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) will continue its ProStart Data Collection this year. The survey is managed by Westat. Be on the lookout for an email from Westat in October. The email will contain a password unique to your program.
Once you complete the survey, you may have $350 in free Foodsafety Training materials.
In case you missed it, CLICK HERE to see how FRLAEF has restructured Foodsafety Training material awards.
FRLAEF Regional Workshops
The FRLAEF is offering eight Regional Workshops this fall. ProStart teachers may bring up to five students to each event. There is no fee to attend a Regional Workshop. Lunch will be provided for all attendees at each event. Chef coats will be given to all participating ProStart students at most event. (Chef coats will not be provided to students that attend the Showcase of the Stars event.) Travel to and from events is on your own.
If Regional Workshop locations reach maximum capacity prior to the deadline, all subsequent schools will be placed on the waiting list. Most events begin at 8:30 am and conclude no later than 2:00 pm.
CLICK HERE to go to our Regional Workshop page.
Please do not register for more than one Culinary event. We only have space for first-time attendees at each event, so register for the event you are most interested in attending. If you are interested in another event, let us know and we will send you the link for the Waiting List.
Hospitality Industry Internships
The Hospitality Industry Internship (HII) provides the opportunity for Florida ProStart instructors to work in a foodservice establishment for at least 40 hours. At the completion of 40 work hours, the HII participant will receive a check for $600 from the FRLAEF.
To qualify for an internship, the instructor must teach the ProStart curriculum during the 2016-2017 school year. The goal of the HII is to provide the instructor an opportunity to learn fresh skills in a new setting. If you are currently employed at a restaurant, you MAY NOT use that site for your internship. The restaurant must also be a new work experience for you, not somewhere you have worked before or used as a past HII internship location. Work experience may begin once the applicant receives an award letter from the FRLAEF.
If you are awarded an internship and do not complete the required work component, you will be ineligible to receive an internship for the 2017-2018 school year. The applicant must secure a position at a foodservice 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.
APPLICATION DEADLINE: October 14, 2016
AWARD NOTIFICATION: October 21, 2016
INTERNSHIP COMPLETED BY: March 24, 2017
CLICK HERE to fill out the online application.
ProStart Culinary Team Competitions
The 17th Annual ProStart Culinary Team Competitions will take place Friday, March 3 — Saturday, March 4, 2017 at the Rosen
Plaza Hotel in Orlando.
On Friday, March 3, half of the Culinary Teams and Management Teams will compete along with all Edible Centerpiece teams. On Saturday, March 4, the remaining Culinary and Management teams will compete along with all of the Waiter Relay Teams. The competition will be followed by an awards dinner at the Rosen Plaza Hotel.
AID FOR COMPETING SCHOOLS The FRLAEF will provide stipends to offset the cost of participating in the event. The stipend amount will be announced when the number of competing teams is finalized.
RULES The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) is amending the rules to the Culinary and Management Competitions. There will be rule changes to the Management and Culinary Competitions. Since Florida’s Culinary and Management Competitions mirror the national rules, we can not release the Florida competition rules until NRAEF has released the national rules. The Waiters Relay and the Edible Centerpiece competitions are unique events to Florida.
HOTEL The Rosen Plaza Hotel will be the host site for the 2017 ProStart Culinary Team Competitions. The room rate at the Rosen Plaza is $129 per night.
Based on other groups in the hotel and our past room night totals, the Rosen Plaza does expect to be full during our event. In the event they can not accommodate all of our guest, they are offering hotels at the Rosen Inn Pointe Orlando. The rates at the Rosen Inn Pointe Orlando are $109 per night.
To reserve hotel rooms at either property, please contact the Rosen Plaza/Rosen Inn Pointe Orlando at 800-627-8258 and reference the FRLAEF ProStart Competition Salute to Excellence. The deadline to make hotel reservations is February 3, 2017 or when the hotel reaches capacity.
PARTICIPATION CLICK HERE for the competition application. The application deadline is Friday, October 14, 2016. Applicants will be notified their status by Friday, October 21, 2016.
Interesting Links in the Food + Culinary World
Frozen Concentrated Orange Juice May Disappear
This Egg In a Nest Pesto Pizza looks like we need it right now
Become a Better Baker in 20 Days!
You may be surprised by the secret ingredient in these Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ten Ideas for your leftover pie dough
A website completely devoted to Breakfast and Brunch!
Salute to Excellence Awards Dinner
The Salute to Excellence Awards will take place on Saturday, March 4, 2017 at the Rosen Plaza Hotel in Orlando. The awards dinner will recognize all ProStart Competition, Pineapple Award, Scholarship recipients and Hospitality Excellence Awardees. Registration will begin in December 2016.
Foodsafety Materials
Each Premier and Full ProStart program is eligible for free Foodsafety materials. To ensure you get the materials you need, you must notify us. Once we receive your ProStart Classification paperwork, you can order up to $350 of Foodsafety materials. Click here for the ServSafe price list. Email Amy Parker to place your order–you do not need to fill out the form. Requests are filled on a first-come, first-served basis.
In case you missed it, CLICK HERE to see how FRLAEF has restructured Foodsafety Training material awards.
ProStart Scantrons
The FRLAEF will distribute over $25,000 worth of free ProStart Exam Scantrons to Premier and Full ProStart schools during the 2016-2017 school year. Once a school has turned in their ProStart Classification paperwork, email Amy Parker to let her know how many ProStart Exam Scantrons you need. Requests are filled on a first-come, first-served basis.
Scholarships
The FRLAEF will award $44,000 in scholarships during the 2016-2017 school year. These scholarships will be awarded during the Salute to Excellence Awards in the Spring. The scholarship application will be available in late Fall.
The 20th Annual ProStart Teacher Training Institute will take place in June 18-23, 2017. The week-long training provides
Florida ProStart instructors with the knowledge necessary to teach the ProStart curriculum. Each day’s learning is built around topics covered in the ProStart curriculum.
LOCATION
All classes will be held at Johnson & Wales University (JWU) North Miami campus, 1701 NE 127th Street, North Miami, Florida, 33181.
PROGRAM COST
The FRLAEF will cover the cost of all Florida ProStart instructors who will be teaching the ProStart curriculum during the 2017-2018 school year. Attendees will be responsible for their travel and some meals.
REGISTRATION
Online registration will begin Spring 2017.