The FRLAEF will conduct two ProStart Teacher Training events this summer. Training will be held at the Keiser University Sarasota campus and at UCF’s Rosen College of Hospitality in 
Orlando. Both events will begin on Tuesday evening and conclude at Friday lunch.
PROGRAM COST
The FRLAEF, along with its sponsors, covers the cost for all qualifying attendees, including instruction, lodging, chef coat and take-home educational materials. Most meals will be provided. Transportation is on your own.
Accommodations for both events will be in a local hotel and each participant will have their own room. FRLAEF will cover the cost of the room nights on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
UCF’S ROSEN COLLEGE OF HOSPITALITY, ORLANDO
June 17-20, 2025
Accommodations are at Rosen Shingle Creek.
KEISER UNIVERSITY, SARASOTA
June 17-20, 2025
Accommodations are at Homewood Suites Lakewood Ranch.
REQUIREMENTS
All attendees must teach the ProStart curriculum during the upcoming 2025-2026 school year.
TRANSPORTATION
Attendees are responsible for their own transportation to the event as well as to and from the campuses each day.
ServSafe Exam The ServSafe review and exam will be offered at both locations on Tuesday, June 17 and 24. If you are NOT attending the training this year but need to take the ServSafe exam, you may sign up for the review and exam using the Teacher Training registration link.
REGISTER HERE FOR TEACHER TRAINING
Registration closes May 2, 2025.
ProStart Culinary Team Competitions
The 24th Annual ProStart Culinary Team Competitions will take place Saturday, March 8 and Sunday, March 9, 2025 at the Rosen Plaza Hotel in Orlando. 
On Saturday, March 8, most of the Culinary Teams and Management Teams will compete along with all Edible Centerpiece teams. On Sunday, March 9, the remaining Culinary and Management teams will compete along with all of the Waiter’s Relay Teams. The competition will be followed by an awards dinner at the Rosen Plaza Hotel.
OBSERVE THE COMPETITION If you have wondered what the ProStart competition is all about, you are welcome to join us March 8-9 to observe the competition. There is no registration process or fee to attend. This is also a good opportunity to bring some interested sophomores and juniors to get them excited about competing in 2026.
RULES All competition rules may be found here on our competition page. Rule updates are in yellow.
Banana Split Showdown–Application Closes March 13
The Banana Split Showdown is a high school culinary arts competition designed to showcase the cooking talents of high school students, encourage the exploration of Florida dairy, provide an avenue for students to expand their understanding of the science and chemistry of America’s favorite frozen treat, all while fostering 21st century skills like problem-solving, creativity, innovation, and teamwork.
Interested schools have until March 13, 2025 to complete the required information. The top five submissions will be chosen to compete in person on April 26 at Wekiva High School. Each of the top five teams will receive two 2 quart semi-professional ice cream makers (valued at $300 each). The ice cream makers will be used at the in-person competition and will be given to the schools at the completion of the event.
CLICK HERE FOR RULES & APPLICATION
2025 FRLAEF Scholarship Application Open!
The FRLAEF will award at least $65,000 in scholarships during the 2024-2025 school year. 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 a ProStart program in a Florida secondary school
- Be a graduating senior who will begin post-secondary education in 2025
- Be entering a culinary or hospitality post-secondary program
- Return a copy of their OFFICIAL high school transcript to FRLAEF by application deadline
APPLICATION TIMELINE The FRLAEF Scholarship application became available in the January issue of NewsBites. The application deadline is April 11, 2025
COMPLETE THE FULL APPLICATION! For the last six years, each applicant that has returned a completed application along with their high school transcript as well as pursuing a degree in culinary or hospitality, has received a scholarship. It only takes a few minutes, so please encourage your students to complete the process.
NRAEF & AHLEI Scholarships Available
NRAEF Scholarship application. CLICK HERE for the application page and info.
American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) Scholarships. CLICK HERE for the landing page and info.
Jr. Pitmaster Class and Competition
Sonny’s BBQ is conducting a Junior Pitmaster Class and Competition on Saturday, April 19 at Wekiva High School in Orlando.
CLICK HERE for all the details.
National ProStart News
This May, the National Restaurant Association Foundation will launch the JumpStart grant program, an exciting new initiative to bring a group of up to eight (8) ProStart students and two (2) chaperones to Chicago, May 17-19, for an educational industry event. Students will attend the National Restaurant Association Show, meet with industry experts, and jump start their career journey.
The JumpStart grant is open to current ProStart schools interested in sending ProStart students over the age of 16 to the event. Grant funds will cover the cost of travel, accommodations, and participation fees for the grant recipients selected group of up to 10 people who attend the event. Each school will also receive a direct stipend to cover an additional expense while they are in Chicago.
Questions? Click here for the FAQs or reach out to Alyssa Prince at [email protected]. The grant application will be open until March 3, 2025. Apply today!
The NRAEF Communications Team is looking for recipes from ProStart schools to post in our quarterly newsletters. Please encourage your educators to send us their best recipes at [email protected].
SHARE YOUR STORY The National Restaurant Association is collecting personal stories through Gather Voices, a simple and user-friendly platform for you to share your experiences on video. These stories will help showcase how the restaurant industry builds careers, strengthens communities, and opens doors for all.
HOW TO SUBMIT:
- Head to the video submission link https://bit.ly/3DkqOHI
- Record your video using your phone or computer. You’ll be asked to share your thoughts on the industry and how it has shaped your life. Feel free to re-record until it’s just right.
- Click submit!
Kitchen Tour Video
One of our FRLAEF Board Members, Dennis Chan is the owner operator of Blue Bamboo restaurant in Jacksonville. If you have received a Mini Grant, Chef Chan is among our Board members who spend a few hours going line by line through the requests and then awarding the Grants. He loves it!
The Clay County ProStart schools were having a hard time getting approved for field trips, so Chef Chan put this virtual kitchen tour together for them. Feel free to share with your students.
ProStart Articulation
ProStart students who earn the Certificate of Achievement (COA) are eligible for articulation benefits in schools all over the country. If you have students who are interested in pursuing a Culinary Arts/Foodservice Management degree and are currently working in the industry (or have enough volunteer hours with you outside the classroom), then direct them to the National Restaurant Association ProStart Passport. This contains all the current articulation agreements for students that have earned their COA.
The COA is also what typically unlocks Premier status for Full ProStart schools. There are more details below about Premier and the COA. Contact Amy at [email protected] if you would like more information.
Become a Premier ProStart School with Free ProStart Exam Materials
Teachers often ask how they can become Premier ProStart schools when they are doing everything required to be Full ProStart schools. In order to get to Premier, you must have at least one student earn the ProStart Certificate of Achievement (COA). If you have a student already working in the foodservice industry, this could be a pathway to get to Premier status. To earn their COA, students must:
- Work at least 400 hours in the foodservice industry
- Pass both Foundations exams
- Have their manager complete the Work Experience Checklist
For a detailed list and a how-to of these steps click here.
The FRLAEF offers free ProStart exam materials each year to Premier and Full ProStart schools. Once we have received a teacher’s Full Implementation contract you are free to request complimentary scantrons or online codes.
Hospitality Industry Internships
The Hospitality Industry Internship (HII) provides the opportunity for Florida ProStart & 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 ProStart, HTM, or HTMP curriculum during the 2024-2025 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!
Foundations & ServSafe Updates
The 3rd edition of the ProStart curriculum, Foundations of Restaurant Management & Culinary Arts is set to be released in time for the 2025-2026 school year. A price list has not been made available. Schools do not have to purchase the 3rd edition to retain their status as ProStart schools, however, schools that have the 1st edition of ProStart will need to upgrade to the 3rd edition.
Effective Tuesday, October 1, 2024, there will be a 2% increase in the list price for the following products offered by the National Restaurant Association:
- ServSafe Coursebook and ServSafe SmartStudy Only
- Foundations of Restaurant Management and Culinary Arts (including eBooks and SmartStudy)
Florida Hospitality by the Numbers (click to enlarge)
Complimentary Foodsafety Materials (ServSafe and/or SafeStaff)
Each Premier and Full ProStart program is eligible for free ServSafe or SafeStaff materials. Once we receive your ProStart Classification paperwork (i.e.. Premier or Full), you can order up to $350 of complimentary ServSafe/SafeStaff materials through a link we will send you.
NEW THIS YEAR When you complete the National Restaurant Association Data Survey, you will be sent a link from us to order up to $800 of free foodsafety materials. We will let you know when the survey is available. It has typically gone out in late September/early October.
Complimentary ServSuccess Materials
ServSuccess is a stackable foodservice industry credential. The entry level certification is Certified Restaurant Professional (CRP). Individuals must have 400 hours of industry experience along with the ServSafe certification to be eligible to sit for the CRP. No training is required but five modules are offered.
If you would like to take the courses and/or the exam, email Amy Parker to let her know and she will get you signed up for free!
The link below will provide you with additional information on CRP.