ProStart NewsBites January 2021

FRLAEF Scholarship Application NOW OPEN!

 

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.

 

CLICK HERE to apply.

Application deadline: March 19, 2021


ProStart Culinary Team Competition–Survey

The current intention of FRLAEF is to host an in-person competition on April 24-25 at the Rosen Plaza.  We believe we can follow CDC guidelines and still have a successful event.  However, we cannot have a competition if you are unable to travel or are uninterested in competing this year.

NRAEF has canceled the National ProStart Invitational for 2021 which means we will not have any rule changes.  If we do host the competition our rules will be the same as they were during the 2020 ProStart competition. With April quickly approaching, we need to determine if an event is possible.  Please complete the survey below to assist us in making a decision regarding the 2021 ProStart Culinary Team Competitions.

If you are interested in competing, please complete this short survey.


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 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.

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. 


NRAEF Scholarship Applications Open January 15th 

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.


Beef!

  • The Texas Beef Council has put together an online video series exploring the beef lifecycle. Earn up to 7 hours of credit through the Commission on Dietetics Registration or the American Culinary Federation.  CLICK HERE for information and to register.
  •  The National Cattleman’s Beef Association has an online Beef University. Courses are free and completers earn certificates. CLICK HERE to find out more and enroll.

New Video Resources From the CIA

The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) has an on-demand series: “Physiology of Taste.” In these five videos, Chef Robert Tremblay ’10 and Chef Payton Spear ’20 cover the five tastes and their characteristics. You can find several different how-to videos at the link as well.

Whether for use in your classroom, to help engage with your students virtually or to use as part of a homework assignment, this series is perfect to help your students understand one of the most fundamental concepts for working with food.

WATCH NOW

Educators can also schedule a CIA presentation HERE. 


Upcoming NRAEF Webinars For You and Your Students

January: Welcome to NRAEF’s first ever ProStart student-focused webinar! Coordinators, Educators and (for the first time!) Students are invited to join them on Wednesday, January 27th from 3-4 pm ET for Showcasing Your Talents for the Future You. Join  Jill Gardner, President of the Talent Shop, for this exciting webinar. Jill is one of the leading experts in recruiting and placing talent in restaurants and the hospitality industry nationwide, and will discuss skillsets that the Talent Shop looks for when identifying and developing talent.  On this webinar, they will also highlight ways for ProStart students to showcase their skills in the professional environment. After you complete the registration form found here, a calendar invitation to join the webinar will be sent (24-48 hours after completion). A recording and slides WILL be made available after the call for anyone who cannot attend.

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).


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.


Chef Matt Jordan Makes Lobster Tostadas AND Offers Restaurant Career Advice

Check out this video featuring a cooking demo by Nestlé Professional Chef Matt Jordan, an experienced corporate chef and TV personality. In this video, Chef Matt shares the importance of establishing a social media presence to showcase your passion for food and cooking, and shares tips and tricks ProStart students can use to grab the attention of potential employers.


Online Resources Page–Updated with Virtual Regional Workshops

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.


ProStart Position Available

There is a Culinary Arts position available at Marianna High School in Marianna, Florida. For more details CLICK HERE.


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.


Scholarships

The FRLAEF will award at least $44,000 in scholarships during the 2020-2021 school year. These scholarships will be awarded during the  Spring. The scholarship application will be available in January of 2021.


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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