Top High School Culinary Students to Battle for National Championship at the 2023 National ProStart Invitational in Washington, D.C.

WASHINGTON, April 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Hundreds of high school students from nearly every state in the U.S. will compete for the national championship in the country’s top high school culinary competition – the National ProStart Invitational – held May 2-4 in Washington, D.C.

Teams are set to go head-to-head in culinary arts and restaurant management contests. Half the teams will cook four-star dishes against a clock without running water and using only two butane burners. The other teams will use the power of persuasion to convince a panel of judges their innovative restaurant business pitch would succeed in the real world.

Media who wish to attend should RSVP to Hannah Oliver ([email protected]) to receive credentials. Based on availability, interview, photo, and video opportunities will be available on site with select teams and educators by request. Click here to view the event media policy.

The 2023 National ProStart Invitational will feature two days of intense competition between 46 culinary arts teams and 46 restaurant management teams. It will also include more than 80 ProStart educators and 70 restaurant industry judges – culminating in an awards ceremony that will award almost $200,000 in scholarships to top teams and crown the 2023 National ProStart Invitational Champions.

The competition is the capstone annual event for ProStart, the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation’s nationwide career and technical education program that has equipped 1 million high school students with career-ready culinary and restaurant management skills. Today, the program reaches nearly 165,000 students at almost 1,850 schools. 

The 2023 National ProStart Invitational is sponsored in part by The Coca-Cola Company, DIRECTV FOR BUSINESS National Accounts, Ecolab, Golden Corral, and Nestlé Professional.

About ProStart®
ProStart^®, a nationwide, two-year high school career and technical education program uniting the classroom and restaurant industry, reaches nearly 165,000 students at almost 1,850 high schools throughout all states, the District of Columbia and Guam. ProStart gives students a platform to discover and develop new interests and talents, while teaching employability skills like teamwork, professional behavior, time management and communication.

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 2022 Annual Impact Report. 

SOURCE National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation