Three South Carolina High Schools Receive Grants from Rachael Ray Foundation

Forty-eight high schools across the United States, including three in South Carolina, have been selected to receive $5,000 grants from The Rachael Ray Foundation and the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation to expand their culinary and restaurant management classroom experience through the ProStart career and technical education (CTE) program – with the goal of equipping young people for future careers in the restaurant industry.

The Rachael Ray Foundation ProStart Grow Grants represent an investment in the ProStart classroom experience, which fosters passion for the restaurant industry and skills for young people to pursue future careers once they leave high school.

Tasked with equipping students through the program's unique blend of hands-on learning and experiential industry engagement, ProStart educators teach a range of culinary techniques and best practices and guide their students through the intricacies of managing a restaurant effectively. Thanks to the program's emphasis on hands-on learning and mentorship, ProStart students emerge from the high school program ready to work in a professional kitchen or advance to higher education.

The South Carolina schools receiving the grants are: Academy for Careers and Technology in Mullins, Lancaster County School District Career Center in Lancaster, and Bamberg-Ehrhardt High School in Bamberg.

“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 and 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.”

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.

ProStart has equipped more than 222,000 students at 2,200 schools 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, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico.

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.

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