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| For Immediate Release |
Contact: Andy Deloney |
February 27, 2009
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517/377-3931 |
Culinary Students to Mix it Up at Michigan ProStart® Student Competition in Lansing
LANSING – Teams representing 17 schools across Michigan will meet in East Lansing on March 15 for the annual Michigan ProStart® Student Invitational, presented by the Michigan Restaurant Association (MRA) Educational Support Foundation. The statewide competition held at the Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center includes culinary, management, marketing, and knowledge bowl competitions.
“The ProStart Student Invitational is not only a great competition, it also is an excellent opportunity for students to demonstrate their culinary, management and marketing knowledge,” said Rob Gifford, president and chief executive officer of the MRA. “The competition allows teachers, students and the industry to connect the ProStart curriculum to real life experiences.”
Participating teams in the culinary competition, sponsored by SYSCO, will demonstrate their creative abilities through the preparation of a meal consisting of a starter, entrée, and dessert in one hour. Their performance during the practical section will be observed and rated by judges from the industry as well as leading post-secondary colleges and universities.
Teams participating in the management competition, sponsored by Gordon Food Service, demonstrate their knowledge of the restaurant and foodservice industry by competing in two different events. In the Case Study, students are tested on their communication skills and their ability to apply their knowledge of the restaurant and foodservice industry to practical situations. The second portion of the competition, the Quiz Bowl, is a question and answer “Jeopardy!” style event.
Participating teams in the marketing competition will develop a proposal for a new restaurant concept based on demographic information. The teams’ proposals will be submitted to a group of judges, much as a business proposal is submitted to investors.
The winning teams in the culinary and management competitions will be sent to San Diego, CA April 24-26 to compete against other teams across the country at the National ProStart® Student Invitational. The winning Michigan teams will compete for the national title, as well as scholarships.
The complete list of participating schools are:
Boyne City High School
Branch Area Careers Center, Coldwater
Calhoun Area Career Center, Battle Creek
Clare-Gladwin RESD, Clare
Fruitport High School, Fruitport
Hill Career Academy, Lansing
Lenawee VOTECH Center, Adrian
Livonia Career Technical Center, Livonia
Mason-Lake Intermediate School District, Scottville
Oakland Schools Technical Campus North East, Pontiac
Plymouth-Canton Educational Park, Canton
Regional Career Technology Center, Ypsilanti
Riverview High School, Riverview
Romeo Technology Center, Romeo
Saginaw Career Complex, Saginaw
S and W Consortium at Saline High School, Saline
Van Buren Technology Center, Lawrence
The ProStart curriculum 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 participate in paid internships where they are mentored by industry managers. When students meet academic standards and complete a checklist of competencies, they are awarded the ProStart National Certificate of Achievement that signifies they are well qualified to enter the industry workforce. ProStart involves approximately 60,000 student participants in more than 1,600 schools, across 47 states, territories and districts. In Michigan, 54 schools and career centers use the ProStart curriculum, with over 2,500 students participating.
The Michigan Restaurant Association (MRA) is the recognized leader of Michigan's hospitality industry, providing essential services to the foodservice community. Founded in 1921, the MRA represents more than 4,500 Michigan foodservice establishments. The industry plays an integral role in Michigan's economy, employing more than 423,600 people and creating more than $13.1 billion in annual sales. For more information please call 800-968-9668.
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