Massachusetts high school students to compete for culinary scholarships

Students from across the state of Massachusetts are gearing up to participate in the Massachusetts Restaurant Association Educational Foundation's (MRAEF) Second Annual ProStart Student Invitational, to be held on Jan. 16, 2009 at Le Cordon Bleu in Cambridge. This is the first time Le Cordon Bleu is hosting the event.

Participating ProStart teams will demonstrate their creative culinary abilities by preparing a complete meal consisting of a starter (soup, appetizer or salad); protein (meat, fish or fowl); vegetable and starch, followed by dessert. Students will be asked to compete in events to highlight their knowledge of the restaurant and foodservice industry. A portion of the competition involves a case-study event, where students test their communication skills and their knowledge in practical situations.

Participating schools include: Brockton High School (first time participating); Carver High School; Nantucket High School; Peabody Veterans Memorial High School; Pittsfield High School; Smith Agricultural Vocational High School; and Tri- County Vocational High School.

Teams will be competing for first, second and third place, and each winning team member will receive scholarships from one of five colleges: Johnson and Wales, Culinary Institute of America, Newbury College, Connecticut Culinary Institute and New England Culinary Institute.

For more information on the 2009 Massachusetts ProStart Student Invitational, click here.