News & Information
|
| For Immediate Release |
Contact: Andy Deloney |
| March 14, 2007 |
517/377-3931 |
Students from Battle Creek and Fruitport victorious at Michigan ProStart® Student Invitational in Lansing
National competition in Charlotte, NC is next stop for state champs
LANSING – A team of culinary students from Fruitport High School and a team of management students from the Calhoun Area Technology Center in Battle Creek each took first place in their respective competitions at the Michigan ProStart® Student Invitational, presented by the Michigan Restaurant Association (MRA) Educational Support Foundation at the Sheraton Hotel in Lansing. The teams from Fruitport and CATC each won a contest featuring 16 teams in culinary and management competition.
The Michigan ProStart® Student Invitational is an annual competition that features teams of students from across Michigan testing their skills in culinary creation and situation management. The 2007 Michigan ProStart® Student Invitational took place on March 11 and 12.
The Fruitport culinary team demonstrated their creative abilities through the preparation of an entire meal, including appetizer, entrée and dessert. Their performance during the practical section was observed and rated by judges from the industry as well as leading post-secondary colleges and universities.
The Calhoun management team demonstrated their ability to analyze management situations that contain business dilemmas and to present a resolution to professionals with experience in the hospitality industry. The teams demonstrated their knowledge of the hospitality industry by competing in a Jeopardy “Quiz Bowl” format.
Following their first place finish in the Michigan ProStart® Student Invitational, the two teams will now head to Charlotte, North Carolina to compete against the very best teams from across the country at the National ProStart® Student Invitational taking place April 20-22, 2007.
As the winning teams, each member received college scholarships from some of the top culinary schools and programs in the country – including the Culinary Institute of America, Ferris State University, Johnson and Wales University, Kendall College and the Orlando Culinary Academy – as well as the MRA Educational Support Foundation and the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation. The winners also received other prizes.
Taking second place in the culinary competition was the Branch Area Career Center in Coldwater. The Plymouth-Canton Educational Park team in Canton took third. In the management competition, the team from the Mason-Lake ISD in Scottville took second while the Oakland Tech Center Northeast campus in Pontiac took third.
The Michigan ProStart® Student Invitational is sponsored by Gordon Food Service, the International Food Services Executives Association, Michaels and Associates, and SYSCO Companies of Michigan.
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.
Founded in 1921, the Michigan Restaurant Association represents more than 4,500 Michigan foodservice establishments. The foodservice industry plays an integral role in Michigan’s economy, employing more than 436,000 people and creating more than $11.3 billion in total annual sales. For more information, call (517) 482-5244.
|
