Mini Grants-Deadline is Past
The FRLAEF is offering $80,000 in Mini Grant funding to Premiere and Full Florida ProStart schools this year. There is no
fixed amount for individual grant awards, but to assist your planning, the average award last year was $700.
There are two prerequisites for grant funding: 1) you must currently teach the ProStart curriculum, and 2) you must be a Premier 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 was October 2, 2020
NRAEF Data Collection (Fall Survey)–Arriving October 12
The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) will continue the ProStart Data Collection this year. Like last year, this survey will be managed by the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation. You must be registered at www.chooserestaurants.org to access the survey.
Once you complete the survey, the FRLAEF will send you an email to request $350 worth of free foodsafety materials while supplies last.
The survey will be sent out Monday, October 12, 2020, so be on the lookout!
Teacher of the Year
Congratulations to Mae Lee Gilroy for Teacher of the Year at Sebring High School!
UCF Rosen News
The Rosen College of Hospitality Management is going digital! The Rosen College has always been known for innovative educational opportunities, but this Fall we are going Digital. In addition to our world class hands-on curriculum, now students can take our Food Preparation courses in an entirely online, virtual platform. Our Chef Instructors have developed live, interactive, multimedia demonstrations conducted from our newly remodeled Culinary Demonstration Center. We are also proud this Fall to debut an entirely online bachelor’s degree program in Restaurant and Food Service Management. Students now have more options than ever to get their education in the hospitality industry. Additionally, we have another proud announcement. This year, the Rosen College has been ranked the number 1 Hospitality Management College in the nation, and the number 2 ranked program in the world, according to the highly respected Shanghai Rankings! It’s a better time than ever to become a Rosen Knight at UCF!
Online Resources Page
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.
Regional Workshops
Due to current school travel restrictions, the FRLAEF will not offer in-person ProStart Regional Workshops this fall. However, we are working with Johnson & Wales University, Keiser University and the University of Central Florida to provide virtual Regional Workshops. As soon as the virtual Regional Workshops are available, we will share them with you.
ProStart Culinary Team Competition
The 2021 ProStart Competition is scheduled to take place February 15-16, 2021 at the Rosen Plaza in Orlando. With all of the uncertainty, rules are being created for an in-person event as well as a virtual event. As soon as we decide what the 2021 ProStart Competition looks like, we will let you know as well as release the application.
Two ProStart Positions Available
There is a Culinary Arts position in Holmes County available.
Basics of the position:
- 3-level 1 classes-52 students
- 3-level 2, 3, 4 mixed classes-51 students
- 103 students total
- Majority In-person + 4 innovative live streamed students from home
- Using Canvas, Blackboard, and FOCUS
- Teaching ProStart & ServSafe
- Run small cafe, cooking for approx 60 people biweekly/weekly (including teachers & students who cooked/served that day)
- 5 home ec style kitchens, slowly upgrading to more commercial equipment each year
- Small town, affordable cost of living in Bonifay, FL–Holmes County
- Holmes County High School Blue Devils
- Advisor for FCCLA (Family Career and Community Leaders of America)
Contact April Rockwell for more details: april.rockwell@hdsb.org
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 Tuesday, February 16, 2021 at the Rosen Plaza Hotel in Orlando. The awards dinner will recognize all ProStart Competition, Pineapple Award, Scholarship recipients and Hospitality Excellence Awardees. If the event goes forward, registration will begin in January 2021.
Complimentary Foodsafety Materials
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 late Fall/early Spring.
The ProStart Teacher Training Institute was created to provide 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 
As you know, Johnson & Wales University (JWU) is closing the North Miami Campus. Therefore, the ProStart Teacher Training Institute will no longer be held at JWU. During 2021, two – three day long trainings will be held. As long as space allows, attendees will chose which location they want to attend. One will take place at Keiser University’s Sarasota Campus while the other will be held at the University of Central Florida. As soon as everything is finalized, we will share the details. At this point, there is the potential for COVID19 to cause the training to be canceled.
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.
REGISTRATION
Online registration will begin Spring 2021.
Due to CDC guidelines, the FRLAEF had to cancel the ProStart Teacher Training Institute (TTI). However, Johnson & Wales University (JWU) provided four virtual TTI classes geared towards topics covered in the ProStart curriculum. The classes are available at our Online Resource page HERE.
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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