FRLAEF Scholarship Applications–Current & Former Students!
CURRENT STUDENTS
The FRLAEF will award approximately $40,000 in scholarships during the 2020-2021 school year! These scholarships will be awarded in the Spring. The scholarship application link is below. Please share with all your graduating seniors who are going to post secondary school to study anything in the field of Culinary, Foodservice or Hospitality.
Application deadline: March 19, 2021
FORMER STUDENTS
The FRLAEF will award two to three $1,000 scholarships to students who are currently enrolled in a post-secondary culinary, foodservice or hospitality program. Please get the word out to your former students!
Application deadline for postsecondary students is May 21, 2021
ProStart Culinary Team Competition–Canceled
We appreciate all the teachers and supervisors that provided information on current travel restrictions. Since very few school districts are currently allowing travel, we made the difficult decision to cancel the 2021 ProStart Competition and Salute to Excellence Awards. Only six schools that completed the survey can travel to the event. Of those six schools, only three were interested in competing in any one competition. Unfortunately, that is not enough participation to justify the event.
While Amy and I are disappointed we are not able to see you at the competition, we do anticipate being able to host the ProStart Teacher Training Institute. Please look for more information on that event and other opportunities from us soon. As always, please let us know if you have any questions.
Florida Teacher Training Institute–Let Us Know If You Will Attend!
The ProStart Teacher Training Institute was originally created to provide Florida ProStart instructors with the knowledge necessary to teach the ProStart curriculum. In the past, the training has been a week-long event held at Johnson & Wales University’s (JWU) North Miami Campus. With JWU closing the North Miami campus, the location and format of the training will change. Prior to finalizing all of the details, we need to know if you are able to travel for instructor training and if you are interested in attending. Please complete the survey below to assist us in finalizing the 2021 ProStart Teacher Training Institute. As with the competition, a decision must be made soon if we are to proceed with the events.
PROGRAM COST
The FRLAEF will cover the cost of all Florida ProStart instructors who will be teaching the ProStart curriculum during the 2021-2022 school year. Attendees will be responsible for their travel and some meals.
SURVEY
Please complete this short survey to let us know your interest in attending TTI this summer or fall.
Recently Remodeled Your ProStart Kitchen?
If you have recently remodeled your ProStart kitchen we would love to hear from you! Instructors are constantly looking for remodeling advice and we would love to share what you have learned along the way. Email Laura Rumer at Laura@FRLA.org if you can help.
NRAEF Scholarship Applications Now Open
For the first time in five years, the majority of college-bound seniors plan to take out a loan (CNBC) to fund their college education. To support passionate students pursuing their post-secondary education, the NRAEF’s scholarship applications opened Friday, January 15th, offering financial aid for students, military servicemen and women and individuals pursuing a restaurant, foodservice or hospitality career. The NRAEF will award nearly $1 million in scholarships and grants to individuals across the country. Learn more here. Applications will be accepted through March 15, 2021.
Hospitality Industry Internships
The Hospitality Industry Internship (HII) provides the opportunity for Florida ProStart 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 ProStart curriculum during the 2020-2021 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 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.
High School Scholarship Competition
The Culinary Institute of New York at Monroe College is launching a scholarship competition. The format is different this year with a focus on virtual submission and application with the hope to have a final cooking competition for the final four chefs and pastry chefs chosen. If guidelines allow, they will host the cook-off on Saturday, March 27 at the Culinary Arts Center in New Rochelle. They are prepared to award partial scholarships to ALL applicants that submit their dishes, a completed application for the competition, and an on-line application to Monroe College. This is an opportunity to connect with your students and assist them with their entries and give them the opportunity to earn a scholarship to what Niche.com has ranked as the #1 culinary program in the Northeast and #4 in the country. More information may be found here. Students can apply using this link: https://programs.monroecollege.edu/best-high-school-chef-application-2021
Upcoming NRAEF Webinars For You
February: Educators are invited to join the NRAEF ProStart team on Wednesday, February 10th from 3 – 4 pm ET for a special Valentine’s Day edition of the ProStart webinar series, where they will continue to explore easy and fun classroom assignments to try with students in a hybrid/virtual setting. They will be joined by instructors from the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) as they perform a live demonstration using Pate a Choux. They will also be holding a live Q&A to ask questions on assignments, ingredients, and other general industry specific topics. After you complete the registration form found here, a calendar invitation to join the webinar will be sent (24-48 hours after completion).
Online Resources Page–Updated with CIA Demos
The FRLAEF online resource page is being updated continuously with new information.
CLICK HERE to go to the page where you will find information about ProStart e-books, chapter animations and videos, foodsafety resources and more. In case you missed it, we have also made available all the notes from our Best Practice zoom meetings on this page.
First Edition Foundations Phasing Out June 2022
The first edition of Foundations of Restaurant Management & Culinary Arts will phase out in June 2022. Therefore, after June 2022 NRAEF will not longer grade ProStart exams relating to the first edition of the textbooks. In order to remain a ProStart school and to test your students with the ProStart exams, you must have transitioned to the 2nd edition no later then June of 2022.
Johnson & Wales University Demos
If you are interested in virtual or in-person visits from Johnson & Wales University, please contact Summer at summer.navarro@juw.edu or Brian at brian.paolucci@jwu.edu.
Salute to Excellence Awards Dinner
The Salute to Excellence Awards will possibly take place on Sunday, April 25, 2021 at the Rosen Plaza Hotel in Orlando. If the awards dinner takes place it will recognize all ProStart Competition winners as well as Pineapple Award, Scholarship recipients and Hospitality Excellence Awardees.
Complimentary Foodsafety Materials – FREE Foodsafety Training
Each Premier and Full ProStart program is eligible for free ServSafe or SafeStaff materials. To ensure you get the materials you need, you must notify us of your needs. Once we receive your ProStart Classification paperwork, you can order up to $350 of ServSafe/SafeStaff materials. Click here for the 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.
Complimentary ProStart Scantrons
The FRLAEF will distribute over $25,000 worth of free ProStart Exam Scantrons to Premier and Full ProStart schools during the 2020-2021 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.
ProStart on CAPE List for 2020-2021
On April 30, CareerSource Florida’s executive committee approved 18 additional certification that were not on the original February 20th list. The ProStart Certificate of Achievement (ProStart COA) was one of the 18 certifications added back to the list! These certifications are only approved for one additional year which means they will be removed from the list on June 30, 2021. However, it does mean you are able to get CAPE funding for the ProStart COA throughout all of the 2020-2021 school year.
ACF To Offer Free Classes
With everything happening in our world, the American Culinary Federation (ACF) would like to offer you free CEH courses, as well as access to their COVID-19 response webinars, including the webinar specifically geared for educators. Please go to the ACF Online Learning Center at: www.acfchefs.org/olc. You will need to create a free web profile if you are not an ACF member. Then look for the ACF United bundle and webinars under the featured tab or in the catalog. For any questions or issues, please don’t hesitate to contact ACF at: educate@acfchefs.net.
Path to Power Series
The Path to Power series profiles executives in the hospitality industry and the career path they took to get there. These articles were compiled for Florida’s ProStart and HTMP students.
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