November Deadline
NOVEMBER 9
- NRAEF Data Collection Survey Closes
Florida Restaurant & Lodging Show
The Florida Restaurant & Lodging Show takes place Wednesday, November 8 – Thursday, November 9, 2023 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando. Only ProStart and HTM teachers may receive complimentary registration using the Promo Code below.
ProStart and HTM students will NOT be allowed on the Show floor this year.
PROMO CODE: prostart
REGISTER NOW FOR THE FRL SHOW
For more information about the FRL Show, click here.
Universal Orlando Handheld Food Competition–Top 10 Selected!
Congratulations to the following schools selected for Stage Two of the Universal Orlando Handheld Competition. They will compete on December 5, 2023 in Orlando to determine the top three. The top three will then compete in the finals on February 6, 2024.
DELTONA HIGH SCHOOL
FERNANDINA BEACH HIGH SCHOOL
FLORIDA HIGH SCHOOL
KEYSTONE HEIGHTS HIGH SCHOOL
LAKE REGION HIGH SCHOOL
MIAMI CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL
MIAMI LAKES EDUCATIONAL CENTER
PEPIN ACADEMY
RIDGVIEW HIGH SCHOOL
WINTER HAVEN HIGH SCHOOL
NRAEF Data Collection Survey — Closes This Month
The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) conducts a survey each fall regarding ProStart classrooms across the nation. The survey was emailed out the end of September. The survey comes from [email protected]. If you are a new ProStart school, you will need to register online. If you did not receive this information please contact us at [email protected].
Once you complete the survey, you will be eligible for $350 in free foodsafety from the FRLAEF. After completing the survey, look for an email from Amy Parker with details on claiming your complimentary foodsafety training.
The survey closes on Thursday, November 9, 2023. If you are a Premier or Full ProStart school, the survey is one of the few things the FRLAEF asks you to complete. Please take a few minutes to take the survey so your status will not be affected next year.
With the 2023-2024 school year underway, FRLA would love to highlight our participating ProStart programs and your creative side. We know how much fun your learning experience is and want to show that off, encouraging others to join in and eventually, hopefully, join Florida’s hospitality industry! Here are a few tips and suggestions for you, and don’t forget, whenever you post, tag @frlanews and we can share your post as well. Keep an eye out for future updates on ProStart social media competitions too!📱
TIPS/IDEAS
Be creative with your content. Here are a few fun possible content ideas:
- Come with us to class! (a video montage of a fun activity during class)
- POV: You’re in high school and want to be a culinary student! (or You’re in high school and want to go into hospitality!) over a video collage of footage from the class
- Challenge others to join ProStart …The top 3 reasons you should join ProStart…with fun footage or text/caption over photo/video from students.
- Hashtag challenge – create a fun hashtag
- Take someone through a full recipe, or other task
- Maybe during November you could highlight a Thanksgiving themed event or fundraiser.
Most importantly, have fun and tag @FRLAnews!
Extreme ProStart Kitchen Makeover Awarded
Congratulations to Carl Stanton, ProStart teacher at Marathon High School in the Keys, for winning the 2023-2024 Extreme ProStart Kitchen Makeover Award! As the award winner, Carl will receive $50,000 to upgrade his current kitchen.
The Extreme ProStart Kitchen Makeover grant is reserved for Premier ProStart schools. If you are interested in becoming a Premier ProStart school next school year, please email Laura Rumer at [email protected] or Amy Parker at [email protected] for more information.
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 2023-2024 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!
Salute to Excellence Awards Dinner
The Salute to Excellence Awards will take place on Saturday, March 2, 2024 at the Rosen Plaza Hotel in Orlando. The awards dinner will recognize all ProStart Competition, Pineapple Award, Scholarship recipients and Hospitality Excellence Awardees.
ProStart instructors will have the opportunity to recognize one student during the awards dinner with a Hospitality Excellence Award. These students will be called on stage during the awards dinner and recognized with a certificate.
All ProStart instructors may receive a complimentary ticket to the awards dinner. Hospitality Excellence Award students receive two complimentary tickets, one for them and one for a guest.
Registration will begin in January 2024.
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.
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 exam 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.
Scholarships
The FRLAEF will award at least $50,000 in scholarships during the 2023-2024 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 a graduating senior who will begin post-secondary education in 2024
• 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 will become available in December NewsBites. The application deadline is Friday, February 2, 2024. For an application to be considered, the FRLAEF must receive the completed online application and a copy of the student’s transcript by February 2, 2024. Scholarships will be awarded during the Salute to Excellence Awards on March 2, 2024. Awardees do not have to be present to win.
COMPLETE THE FULL APPLICATION! For the last five years, each applicant that has returned a completed application has received a scholarship. It only takes a few minutes, so please encourage your students to complete the process.
The FRLAEF will conduct two ProStart Teacher Training events during summer 2024. 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 will cover the cost of all Florida ProStart instructors who will be teaching the ProStart curriculum during the 2024-2025 school year. Attendees will be responsible for their travel and some meals.
REGISTRATION
Online registration will begin Spring 2024.