News & Information
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| For Immediate Release |
Contact: Andy Deloney |
May 24, 2007
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517/377-3931 |
Coca-Cola Awards $46,000 to MRA
Educational Support Foundation Youth Program
LANSING – The Michigan Restaurant Association
Educational Support Foundation (MRAESF) announced it has received a generous
grant of $46,000 from The Coca-Cola Foundation and The Coca-Cola Company to
energize the MRAESF ProStart® program.
The grant dollars will be directed toward heightening foodservice
industry skills and techniques for students in the two-year ProStart®
curriculum.
“The Coca-Cola Foundation and The Coca-Cola Company are proud to support the Michigan ProStart® program, which
provides youths with the educational opportunities and the support system they
need to become knowledgeable and productive citizens with tools to reach their
full potential,” said Nancy Wollensak Gilboe,
director of area sales for Coca-Cola
Foodservice.
ProStart® is a two-year curriculum for high school students which
develops highly qualified and skilled workers to meet the increasing demands of
the restaurant and foodservice industry.
The basis of the ProStart® curriculum is to provide students with
knowledge of the foodservice industry and to develop the employability,
customer service, and business skills necessary for success in the
workplace. In addition, the curriculum prepares
students for their transition to post secondary education and employment
thereby strengthening the quality of the workers in the foodservice industry
and the economy of Michigan.
These funds will directly benefit
programs in Michigan such as the Branch Area
Career Center (BACC) in Coldwater and the Calhoun Area Tech Center (CATC) in Battle Creek. These two programs will serve as the catalyst
toward future enhancements for the more than 30 schools across the state
participating in the ProStart® curriculum.
“The Coca-Cola Foundation’s generous grant will allow us to put
additional energy, expertise and experiences into action,” said Kristen Dogan
of the BACC.
Over the next 12 months, the MRAESF will be expanding
the programs implemented in these two technical centers by developing a more
extensive linkage with local businesses, improving mentoring experiences for
students, enhancing culinary and management competitions, and promoting post-secondary
educational opportunities in the industry.
“These are the very components that have proven to increase students’
interest in learning, improve their grades, graduation rates, entrance into
post secondary education, and prepare them for the highly skilled workforce of
this century,” said Fred Baschal of the CATC.
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.
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