CHICAGO--The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) announce that 35 states will be sending ProStart high school students to compete at the sixth annual National ProStart Student Invitational from April 20- 22, 2007 at the Westin in Charlotte, N.C.  At this fast-paced competition, teams of students that won first place in their state culinary and/or management competitions compete for the national title, as well as scholarships for post-secondary education.

"This competition brings together the best of the best ProStart students to showcase their culinary and management skills to current industry members and future colleagues.  These students will demonstrate a mastery of the skills needed to succeed and lead our industry into the future," said Mary M. Adolf, president and chief operating officer of the NRAEF.  "Each year, the National ProStart Student Invitational continues to grow, exposing more students to the thrill of competition and valuable networking and scholarship opportunities." 

The National ProStart Student Invitational is broken into two competitions: culinary and management.  Teams participating in the culinary competition will demonstrate their creative abilities through the preparation of a meal consisting of a starter, entrée and dessert in 60 minutes.  Conversely, the management competition will highlight a team's knowledge of the restaurant and foodservice industry by competing in a case study, where students are tested on their communication skills and ability to apply their industry knowledge to practical situations, as well as a question-and-answer "game show"-style event.  The National ProStart Student Invitational is also a learning opportunity for the students, as they meet with the judges for valuable feedback on the culinary and case study events.

The following states and territories are sending teams of students to participate in the culinary and/or management competitions: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Guam, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Washington D.C., West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

The Coca-Cola Company is the premier sponsor of the National ProStart Student Invitational, awarding scholarships to pursue post-secondary education to the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth place teams in both the culinary and management competitions.  The top three winning teams from each competition will also be awarded medals.  Additional sponsors include Coach's Low Country Brands, Johnson & Wales University, Le Cordon Bleu Schools North America, Cesar Ritz Colleges Switzerland, Golden Corral, Harris Teeter, J.M. Smucker's and Mercer Tool Corporation.

The NRAEF implements the ProStart program for more than 54,000 students in conjunction with 47 state restaurant associations. This partnership brings restaurant and foodservice operators, educators, and government officials together to coordinate the program in their state.  The restaurant and foodservice industry is one of the largest employers in the U.S. with 12.8 million employees, and an additional 2 million positions will be added over the next decade.  To help meet that challenge, ProStart is building a pipeline of qualified individuals ready to take leadership roles within the industry.

The ProStart program is a two-year curriculum designed to teach high school students the management skills needed for a career in the restaurant and foodservice industry.  Students also have the opportunity to participate in paid internships under industry mentors.  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.  For more information on the ProStart program and National ProStart Student Invitational, please visit www.weareprostart.org.