Edmond Students will travel to Baltimore next to compete for coveted national title and $200,000 in scholarships from the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation
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National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation
Teams from Edmond North High School and Edmond Santa Fe High School earned their spot among the next generation of restaurant innovators and culinarians when they captured the Ben E. Keith Oklahoma ProStart Student Invitational competition.
The students will next travel to Baltimore to compete for national championships in April.
· Edmond North High School won the culinary competition.
· Edmond Santa Fe High School won the restaurant management competition.
Both teams represent Oklahoma’s best and brightest culinary and restaurant management students and were awarded scholarships from the Culinary Institute of America. As state champions, they will move on to compete at the 2024 National ProStart Invitational, to be held April 26-28 in Baltimore, where they will face off against winning teams from nearly all 50 states. The top five teams in each national competition category will then take home a combined $200,000 in scholarships to support their future careers.
Congratulations to our 2nd place winners:
· 2nd Place Culinary – Francis Tuttle Technology Center
· 2nd Place Management – Edmond North High School
Thank you to the partners of the 2024 Ben E. Keith Oklahoma ProStart Student Invitational: Ben E. Keith, Oklahoma ProStart National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation, Metro Tech, The Culinary Institute of America, Bryan Close, GoFresh, ECOLAB and Superior Linen Service.
ProStart is a nationwide high school career and technical education program from the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation that reaches nearly 165,000 students at almost 1,850 schools each year, equipping them with the restaurant industry’s best two-year Certified Training and Education Program to jumpstart their culinary careers while still in high school.
Over the last 24 years, over 1 million high school students nationwide have received career-building training through ProStart’s curriculum, which merges hands on restaurant and culinary experience with classroom instruction.
Across Oklahoma, there are 24 technology centers or high schools with ProStart curriculum with over 1,200 students enrolled in one or two-year programs.
“It’s such a great privilege to host an event like this, one that shines a light on the developing talent. It’s here we see real-world skills demonstrated at the ProStart Student Invitational,” said Roberta Helsley, Director of Workforce Development and Education at the ORA. “Across Oklahoma, management and culinary skills are honed in the classroom, leading students to jobs in restaurants, hotels and entertainment attractions.
“It’s extremely gratifying to help students reach their goals, working in Oklahoma’s hospitality industry. We are supported by many of Oklahoma’s premiere restaurateurs and chefs as ProStart judges and mentors. Our team always receives excellent feedback from these volunteers and the caliber of students who participate in the ProStart competition.”
Said Rob Gifford, president of the NRAEF: “I am always inspired by the dedication and innovation that ProStart teams display during competition. ProStart’s true strength lies in the skills students take away from it, which will benefit them throughout life – no matter where they work. I’m truly excited to welcome these champions to Baltimore in April.”
For more information on the ProStart® program, visit ChooseRestaurants.org/ProStart or find us on X or Facebook.
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ProStart®, a nationwide, two-year high school career and technical education program uniting the classroom and restaurant industry, reaches nearly 165,000 students at almost 1,850 high schools throughout all states, the District of Columbia and Guam. ProStart gives students a platform to discover and develop new interests and talents, while teaching employability skills like teamwork, professional behavior, time management and communication.