NHS to offer ProStart Program
National management & culinary program blends classroom learning with real life experience
Negreet High School recently announced that it will be implementing the ProStart Program during the 2009-2010 school year. ProStart is a two-year high school restaurant and food service management curriculum that blends classroom learning with mentored work experience. The ProStart curriculum was developed with guidance from educators and representatives of the restaurant and food service industry and is managed nationally by National Restaurant Association Solutions.
The program is currently being implemented by more than 1,600 schools in 47 states, territories and districts, with approximately 60,000 students enrolled nationwide.
Food service is one of the nation’s fastest-growing industries, currently employing 12.8 million workers. The industry is expected to add two million jobs over the next decade, with 47,000 of those positions in management.
“There is a wealth of diverse opportunities for young people in the restaurant and food service industry,” said the instructor, Diane Brooks. “The ProStart program will help us prepare students for those opportunities and establish a foundation for further learning whether the students immediately pursue food service careers or go on to hospitality management or culinary programs at the college level.”
The program gives high school juniors and seniors the chance to explore career opportunities and gain the skills needed to operate and manage a food service business by pairing classroom learning with on-the-job experience. As part of the ProStart program, NHS will combine academic classroom work with the opportunity for students to participate in mentored work experiences at local restaurants including, Cypress Bend, Down Home, and Elgiro’s. During the mentored work experience, students get hands-on experience in different areas of the food service industry. They work directly with industry professionals who serve as mentors to make sure the students are getting as much as possible out of the work experience and have the chance to practice what they learn in the classroom.
When students meet academic standards, complete a checklist of competencies, and participate in at least 400 hours of a mentored work experience, they are awarded the ProStart National Certificate of Achievement that signifies they are well qualified to enter the industry workforce. Students who achieve the National Certificate of Achievement have access to scholarships and articulation agreements with leading colleges and universities.
For more information please contact Diane Brooks, Negreet High School, at (318) 256-9130 or at brooksd@sabine.k12.la.us.
