Washington, DC, June 29, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- This summer, over 250 teachers from high schools and career and technical centers across the nation will have the opportunity to hone their culinary and restaurant management instruction skills at the Summer Institutes, a series of weeklong professional development workshops organized by the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF).
Hosted by culinary schools across the U.S., NRAEF’s Summer Institutes offer educators the opportunity to learn from nationally recognized faculty, network with peers and tour restaurant and foodservice facilities. With five days of instruction, educators learn how to apply their course’s takeaways to their own classrooms to connect thousands of students to the restaurant industry.
"The NRAEF's Summer Institutes give educators the skills they need – whether it's restaurant management principles, food safety essentials or advanced pastry techniques – to continuously improve the courses they teach," said Rob Gifford, executive vice president of the NRAEF. "The training provides a professional development opportunity while positively impacting those with a passion for the restaurant and foodservice industry."
New for 2018, the Taco Bell Foundation has donated $10,000 in scholarships and grants, specifically for educators to attend Summer Institutes, impacting the lives of educators and, as a result, hundreds of students.
“Having this grant affords me the opportunity to become a better teacher and gain more knowledge,” said Jana Gonzalez, a 2018 recipient of the NRAEF’s summer institute grants. “My motivation stems from the desire to help today’s younger generation learn to appreciate and value education and how it can impact their futures.”
Four different workshop Levels – (1) basic, (2) advanced, (3) mastery and the spotlight series – cover a range of knowledge and skills, from an overview of the restaurant industry and culinary and management essentials to particular skill mastery, global cuisine and marketing and menu development. This year’s two spotlight series, targeted-interest courses that apply to skillsets learned at prior workshop levels, will focus on farm-to-plate menus at the New England Culinary Institute or advanced baking techniques, such as artisan bread baking and chocolate, at Brightwater: A Center for the Study of Food.
Educators who complete Levels 1 through 3, and complete additional requirements, are eligible for the NRAEF’s Certified Secondary FoodService Educator Certification.
The workshops will be featured in top culinary schools and institutions, including Madison College, Big Sky Culinary Institute and the University of South Carolina. The annual program is open to everyone, including educators from ProStart, a national career and technical education program teaching nearly 140,000 high school students culinary arts and restaurant management skills and fundamentals.
To learn more about the NRAEF’s Summer Institutes and how you can get help build the next generation of restaurant and foodservice leaders, visit ChooseRestaurants.org.
About the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation
As the philanthropic foundation of the National Restaurant Association, the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation is dedicated to 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 – partnering with community based organizations to provide “opportunity youth” 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 Hospitality Sector Registered Apprenticeship Project – a partnership with the American Hotel & Lodging Association providing a hospitality apprenticeship program for the industry. For more information on the NRAEF, visit ChooseRestaurants.org.
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