How can your school participate?

Fulfill each of the below criteria:

• Strive to provide the ProStart® curriculum and worksite learning to 25 junior high school students initially who are beginning the first of two years of the program, with the student pre-requisites being: a career interest in foodservice management, C” grade average learning ability, good behavior record, 16 years of age during the first year of the program, willingness to participate in the industry internships.
  
• Identify one classroom instructor to teach the curriculum and a program coordinator (may be the same staff person) to serve as a liaison between administrators, teachers, students, employers, and mentors for connecting and worksite activities.
  
• Teacher/Coordinators will: recruit students; match students with employers for internships; conduct local PR and marketing with LRA State Coordinator; communicate with LRA State Coordinator, students, parents, counselors, stakeholders, on program specifics including internship requirements, National Restaurant Association Certification and scholarships; provide mentorship training, if necessary; participate in Teacher Training prior to the start of Year 1 implementation. Must have Teacher Resources Kit prior to this training.
  
• Offer teacher and/or appropriate staff to be given release time for industry sponsored professional development (i.e. trip to Hospitality Conference Show/Expo, job shadow, teacher conferences, and site visits for monitoring students).
  
• Enable students to participate in industry related ProStart®r connecting activities, such as career speakers, field trips, and job shadowing.
  
• Enable students to participate in industry internships planned according to the standards and model of the ProStart® program.
  
• Purchase and use the ProStart® instructional materials.
  
• Assist in the development of an articulation agreement for your program with a college(s) in your area.
  
• Have all students take the national competency test at the end of the second year of the program.
  
• Provide kitchen/lab equipment needed to teach the ProStart®t curriculum.

School Program Coordinators

• Attend all program coordinator in-service meetings at the Louisiana Restaurant Association or other locations.
  
• Work with local school team of administrators, teachers, and counselors to determine instructor of school curriculum and school worksite coordinator (this could be the program coordinator) as well as the time and method of instruction.
  
• Participate in the initial development of the schools policies and procedures. Monitor implementation to verify policies and procedures are followed. Evaluate policies and produces and recommend areas for improvement.
  
• Annually, coordinate identification and recruitment of students using Louisiana Restaurant Association marketing and local school materials; work with students’ parents to help them understand the program and their responsibilities in supporting their student in the program.
  
• Develop partnership with the LRA and other industry operators through the LRA Education Foundation for class speakers, student field trips, job shadowing, and student teacher internship experiences at foodservice establishments. Organize and conduct these experiences according to the curriculum and technical assistance program guidelines.
  
• Communicate openly with the Louisiana Restaurant Association during the project.
  
• Ensure that student competencies are tested and that eligible students receive the Certificate of Mastery.

Click here for your school to apply to become a ProStart® site.