Building ProStart Classrooms: Forty High Schools Receive Rachael Ray Foundation ProStart Grow Grants to Develop Their Culinary and Restaurant Management Programs

$5,000 grants can be used to enhance the classroom experience with curriculum, supplies, and equipment.

WASHINGTON, July 1, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- ProStart educators at 40 high schools across the country will each receive $5,000 grants from The Rachael Ray Foundation and the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) to enhance their programs with new equipment, curriculum, and experiential learning opportunities. The grants are the latest round of financial support from The Rachael Ray Foundation, which has dedicated more than $1 million over the last five years to foster learning and engagement in ProStart classrooms through The Rachael Ray Foundation ProStart Grow Grant program.

ProStart educators play a pivotal role in the program's success in more than 2,100 high schools nationwide, blending its core curriculum with hands-on industry engagement activities, including special speakers, class mentors, and tours of local culinary facilities. The 2024 grant application was open to existing ProStart schools, or those looking to join the program in the coming school year. The NRAEF anticipates that the grants will benefit more than 3,700 students and 42 teachers across 22 states.

"Providing Grow Grants is one of my favorite times of the year. The educators who invest their passion and energy into their classrooms are inspiring. I love to see the impact their work has on the students who graduate from ProStart with the knowledge and excitement for the restaurant industry," said Rachael Ray.

In the last five years,153 ProStart Grow Grants have been awarded to schools showing a strong desire to engage students through ProStart's industry-leading career and technical education program. In addition to classroom grants, The Rachael Ray Foundation and the Yum-o! organization have sponsored more than 260 scholarships for students pursuing post-secondary degrees in the restaurant and hospitality industry.

"ProStart Grow Grants are a gamechanger for many ProStart classrooms, providing the support to add crucial curriculum, equipment, and experiences for students. We're grateful for the partnership of The Rachael Ray Foundation, which is helping educators give their students a front row seat to all that a career in the restaurant industry offers," said Rob Gifford, president of the NRAEF.

Far more than a high school elective, ProStart has equipped more than 214,000 students with the essentials of culinary arts and restaurant management through its two-year CTE program, found at a mix of public high schools and career technical education centers across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Students completing the program gain restaurant-specific certifications and competencies, over 400 hours of practical work experience, and access to restaurant and hospitality apprenticeship and scholarship opportunities. 

The following schools will receive 2024 Rachael Ray Foundation ProStart Grow Grants:

A.H. Parker High School – Birmingham, Alabama
Advanced Learning Center – Amory, Mississippi
Albany High School – Albany, Louisiana
B.O. Davis Sr. High School – Houston, Texas
Badger High School – Lake Geneva, Wisconsin
Ballou High School – Washington, D.C.
Berkmar High School – Lilburn, Georgia
Carl Keen CTE – Clarksdale, Mississippi
Deltona High School – Deltona, Florida
Dr. Henry A. Wise Jr. High School – Upper Marlboro, Maryland
Fenger High School – Chicago, Illinois
Fort Pierce Central High School – Fort Pierce, Florida
Franklin Towne Charter High School – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Garinger High School – Charlotte, North Carolina
Hammond High Magnet School – Hammond, Louisiana
Henry P. Becton Regional High School – East Rutherford, New Jersey
Johnson Creek Middle & High School – Johnson Creek, Wisconsin
Kahuku High & Intermediate – Kahuku, Hawaii
Kenner Discover Health Sciences Academy – Kenner, Louisiana
Meadowcreek High School – Norcross, Georgia
Mifflin County Academy of Science and Technology – Lewistown, Pennsylvania
Moorhead High School Career Academy – Moorhead, Minnesota
Morris County Vocational School District – Denville, New Jersey
Morse High School – San Diego, California
Oak Grove High School – Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Osseo-Fairchild School District – Osseo, Wisconsin
P.D. Jackson Olin High School – Birmingham, Alabama
PHILLIPS School of Annandale – Annandale, Virginia
Rancho High School – Las Vegas, Nevada
Ranchview High School – Irving, Texas
Richards Career Academy – Chicago, Illinois
Ridgefield Park High School – Ridgefield Park, New Jersey
Roberto Clemente Community Academy – Chicago, Illinois
The Riverview School – Long Island City, New York
Warrensville Heights High School – Warrensville Heights, Ohio
Wekiva High School – Apopka, Florida
Wetzel County Tech Center – New Martinsville, West Virginia
Willow Lake School – Willow Lake, South Dakota
WP Davidson High – Mobile, Alabama
Wythe Conty Technology Center – Wytheville, Virginia

About the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF): As the supporting philanthropic foundation of the National Restaurant Association, the NRAEF's charitable mission includes enhancing the industry's training and education, career development, and community engagement efforts. The NRAEF and its programs work to Attract, Empower, and Advance today's and tomorrow's restaurant and foodservice workforce. NRAEF programs include: ProStart® – a high-school career and technical education program; Restaurant Ready/HOPES – Partnering with community based organizations to provide people with skills training and job opportunities; Military – helping military servicemen and women transition their skills to restaurant and foodservice careers; Scholarships – financial assistance for students pursuing restaurant, foodservice and hospitality degrees; and the Restaurant & Hospitality Leadership Center (RHLC) – accredited apprenticeship programs designed to build the careers of service professionals. For more information on the NRAEF, visit ChooseRestaurants.org. Click here for the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation's 2023 Annual Impact Report.

About The Rachael Ray Foundation: The Rachael Ray Foundation™ (RRF) is a private foundation that is fully funded by the proceeds from the sale of Rachael Ray™ Nutrish®. RRF was launched by Rachael in 2016 to better support the causes she cares for most such as helping animals in need. Additionally, RRF works with organizations that support the mission of Yum-o!, Rachael's 501c3, in order to bolster and amplify their efforts through additional funding. Yum-o! empowers kids and their families to develop healthy relationships with food and cooking. It also teaches families to cook, feeds hungry kids, and funds cooking education, among other initiatives.

SOURCE National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation