Albany High School Receives $5,000 Rachael Ray Foundation ProStart Grow Grant to Expand its Culinary Arts and Restaurant Management Program
Albany High School Receives $5,000 Rachael Ray Foundation ProStart Grow Grant to Expand its Culinary Arts and Restaurant Management Program
Livingston, LA – Albany High School is one of 40 high schools nationwide selected to receive a $5,000 grant from The Rachael Ray Foundation and the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) to enhance its ProStart culinary arts and restaurant management program with new equipment, curriculum, and experiential learning opportunities.
The funds from the Rachael Ray ProStart Grow Grant Program will be used to purchase a hydroponics garden system, fund a field trip to the New Orleans Culinary and Hospitality Institute, and purchase new chef coats and aprons for the students, as well as knife sets, sous vide cookers, blenders and utensil sets for the school’s culinary classroom.
“Our students will also benefit from this grant by using a portion of it to earn the ServSafe Manager certification,” said Suzanne Fekete, the ProStart teacher at Albany High School. “Our kitchen and culinary classroom are currently being renovated from a 1986 home economics kitchen design into a modern restaurant-style, commercial kitchen that will better prepare our students to become leaders in the industry.”
Fekete said more than 150 students enroll each year in the school’s culinary classes, which include a baking and pastry class. Of that count, about 60 are in the Pro-Start program.
Superintendent Jody Purvis said the district’s high school culinary programs have significantly expanded over the years, offering more students opportunities in the high-demand restaurant industry.
“Providing Grow Grants is one of my favorite times of the year. The educators who invest their passion and energy into their classrooms are inspiring. I love to see the impact their
work has on the students who graduate from ProStart with the knowledge and excitement for the restaurant industry,” said Rachael Ray.
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 2024 grant application was open to existing ProStart schools, or those looking to join the program in the coming school year. The NRAEF anticipates that the grants will benefit more than 3,700 students and 42 teachers across 22 states.
In the last five years,153 ProStart Grow Grants have been awarded to schools showing a strong desire to engage students through ProStart’s industry-leading career and technical education program. 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.
“ProStart Grow Grants are a gamechanger for many ProStart classrooms, providing the support to add crucial curriculum, equipment, and experiences for students. We’re grateful for the partnership of The Rachael Ray Foundation, which is helping educators give their students a front row seat to all that a career in the restaurant industry offers,” said Rob Gifford, president of the NRAEF.
ProStart has equipped more than 214,000 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.