Pittsylvania Career & Technical Center Was One of Forty-Eight High Schools from Around the Country Receive a Rachael Ray Foundation ProStart Grow Grant.
One Virginia school is set to receive a $5,000 grant from The Rachael Ray Foundation and the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) to enhance their ProStart culinary arts and restaurant management program with new equipment, curriculum, and experiential learning opportunities. Pittsylvania Career and Technical Center, located in Chatham, Virginia, was one of 48 high schools across the program to receive this award.
"There's something truly magical about a ProStart classroom – it's where many kids discover their passion for food and start to see a future for themselves in this incredible industry," said Rachael Ray, founder of The Rachael Ray Foundation. "The Rachael Ray Foundation is proud to help educators fuel the ProStart spark to encourage more young people to pursue a career in restaurants and foodservice."
The funds from the Rachael Ray ProStart Grow Grant Program will be used to help expand the hands-on experiences made available to Pittsylvania students.
“Receiving the Rachael Ray grant is both a gift and an opportunity. It empowers me to bring new culinary curriculum materials and essential kitchen equipment into our classroom, giving my juniors and seniors more meaningful, hands-on learning experiences,” said Chef Janella Bradley, Culinary Arts Instructor for Pittsylvania Career & Technical Center. “For our school, it represents growth, creativity, and allows students more opportunities for real-world experiences. I’m grateful and excited to use this support to inspire confidence, curiosity, and a passion for the culinary arts in my students."
The ProStart Program, which is supported in Virginia by the Virginia Restaurant, Lodging & Travel Association Foundation (VRLTAF), unites the foodservice industry and the classroom to teach high school students culinary skills and restaurant management principles. ProStart educators play a pivotal role in the program’s success in more than 2,100 high schools nationwide, blending its core curriculum with hands-on industry engagement activities, including special speakers, class mentors, and tours of local culinary facilities.
The Foundation anticipates that The Rachael Ray Foundation ProStart Grow Grants will benefit more than 4,800 students across 24 states. This represents the sixth year of financial support from The Rachael Ray Foundation to support high school students pursuing careers in the restaurant industry, with more than $1 million awarded through The Rachael Ray Foundation ProStart Grow Grant program to-date. In addition to classroom grants, The Rachael Ray Foundation and the Yum-o! organization have sponsored more than 260 scholarships for students pursuing post-secondary degrees in the restaurant and hospitality industry.
"Teachers are essential to a successful ProStart classroom experience, instilling knowledge about the restaurant industry and the passion young people need to build a lifelong career in it," said Michelle Korsmo, President & CEO of the National Restaurant Association and CEO of the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation. "These grants are more than an investment in a culinary program – they equip teachers with what they need to spark creativity, confidence, and a desire to chase the opportunity that's abundant in our industry."
ProStart has equipped more than 222,000 students with the essentials of culinary arts and restaurant management through its two-year CTE program, found at a mix of public high schools and career technical education centers across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Students completing the program gain restaurant-specific certifications and competencies, over 400 hours of practical work experience, and access to restaurant and hospitality apprenticeship and scholarship opportunities. Learn more about ProStart here.