The Hawaii Restaurant Educational Foundation (HRAEF) has been working hard to expand and create awareness for their ProStart Program, and has seen great support from the community. This high school culinary training program currently serves 12 high schools and currently has three new schools in the process of joining.
Some of the services ProStart is able to provide the schools with include teacher mentorship, chef demonstrations in the classroom, internships which allow high school students to gain real world experience at restaurants all around the state, and the opportunity to work toward a Certificate of Achievement upon graduation from high school. ProStart also works closely with and is supported by collaborations with the Culinary Institute of the Pacific at Kapi`olani Community College, which has been an ally of this program from the beginning.
As the year gets off and rolling, the HRAEF has a solid list of goals for the future and the ProStart team is focused on fundraising to achieve those goals. One main goal is to have the resources to support Hawaii’s high school culinary programs with whatever needs they may have to be successful in the classroom. Most recently, the ProStart team was able to secure a significant donation from Bargreen Ellingson who provided several schools with spatulas, aprons, tongs, knife sharpeners, saute pans, measuring spoons, mixing bowls and much more!
The HRAEF is so thankful for the support that the hospitality industry has given to this program and they look forward to continuing to grow and expand to one day be a resource for every high school in the state.
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