August
28, 2007
In
This Issue:
- Welcome
Back
-
2007 Scholarship Awards
-
Junior Iron Chef of Oregon awards
WELCOME
BACK, TEACHERS
The 2007-08 school
year is just getting started and we are excited
to have an awesome year planned for Oregon ProStart!
Just some quick housekeeping reminders as you
start planning the school year:
Mentor Chefs- the Oregon Restaurant
Education Foundation is here to assist you in
finding a mentor chef for your classroom. And
mentor chefs are people who can teach your entire
class, not just work with your culinary teams.
Just send us an email and we can work with local
industry leaders to find someone who will be
happy to volunteer in your classroom and connect
with your students.
Advisory Committees- Start out the year with
a lot of industry support- remember to set up
your advisory committee meetings at least quarterly.
Don't have a committee? You'll need to get one
put together- please contact Elisa at OREF for
assistance: elisa@orefoundation.org
Worksites- Completing the
ProStart National Certificate of Achievement
requires students to have 400 hours of worksite
experience. Teachers who have a school-based
enterprise can sign off on 150 of those hours,
and leave students with just 250 worksite hours
to complete. OREF is here to help find worksites
for your students. Just send us an email at:
dawn@orefoundation.org
for assisance.
ProStart
Shines at Junior Iron Chef of Oregon Competition
at The Bite of Oregon
Bend High School's
ProStart program edged out the competition and
emerged as winners of the 2007 Junior Iron Chef
of Oregon culinary competition at The Bite of
Oregon festival which took place in Portland
on August 12th. The students competed against
three other teams from around the state, and
were featured front and center at the SYSCO
Chef Stage.
The teams, who were the 1st-4th
place winners at the ProStart State High School
Culinary Championships back in February, were
invited to a friendly rematch for this competition,
which allowed students a great deal of flexibility
as they were allowed to cook without a prepared
menu, Iron Chef-style.
Two pre-qualifying rounds
for the four teams tested student grit and skill
as they grappled with a secret protein that
was not revealed until the competition began.
The winners of the early rounds advanced to
the finals, which ended up pitting Bend High
School versus Willamette High School from Eugene.
Taft High School from Lincoln
City and South Salem High School also competed
in the event and while they didn't come home
with a title, sponsors, spectators and teachers
alike felt like all students were winners for
having such a phenomenal culinary experience.
Students especially liked having the attention
of the crowd focused on the competition -but
one wouldn't know it because each student focused
solely on the task at hand, rather than the
intent gaze of the spectators.
Throughout the day, hundreds
of Bite of Oregon event-goers stopped and watched
the students battle it out as they sought to
produce three identical entrees for the judges
within an hour.
Judges presiding over the
event included Bobbie McDonald of SYSCO Food
Services of Portland, John Newman of Newman's
at 988 (Cannon Beach), Mike Cooper of Deschutes
Brewery (Bend), Merlyn Baker of Foley's Station
(LaGrande), Janette Kaden of Tin Shed Garden
Café (Portland), Brian Wilke of the Oregon
Culinary Institute (Portland), Matthew Moulder
of Blue Fish Bistro (Bend) and Trudy Kramer
of Kramer Vineyards (Yamhill).
Many thanks to Leigh
Ann Hieronymus of Fred Meyer and the "Fresh
Ideas from Leigh Ann" segments broadcast
on KOIN-TV, and Chef Mark Bernetich of SYSCO
who helped provide commentary to the competition,
and also NW Natural and SYSCO for sponsoring
this event!
Scholarships
Awarded to Oregon ProStart students
Oregon ProStart students attended
a special scholarship awards ceremony at The
Bite of Oregon to receive their 2007-08 Co-Branded
scholarship awards. Partnering with the National
Restaurant Association Educational Foundation
(NRAEF), the Oregon Restaurant Education Foundation
matched national funds to provide each student
with a sizable scholarship award. The students
that were recognized at the ceremony include:
Karina Garza, Bend High
School - awarded $4,000 to attend Central Oregon
Community College in Bend, OR
Christina Knotts, Willamette
High School - awarded $2,000 to attend Lane
Community College in Eugene, OR
Stacy Tognazzini, Willamette
High School - awarded $2,000 to attend Lane
Community College in Eugene, OR
Alison Tribe, Sam Barlow
High School - awarded $4,000 to attend Johnson
& Wales University in Denver, CO
Taelor Trueblood, Bend
High School - awarded $2,000 to attend Culinary
Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY
Ana Rusnac, David Douglas
HIgh School - awarded $4,000 to attend Mt. Hood
Community College in Gresham, OR
The students will also
be matched up to an industry mentor who will
help provide the students with coaching and
career support while they attend post-secondary
study. This annual scholarship program is open
to all ProStart program students who are seniors
planning on continuing their career in hospitality
at a college, institute, university or community
college.
Upcoming
Events
· All-Prostart teacher
professional development day: October 5 - Oregon
State Fairgrounds - info will be sent to the
teachers directly about agenda
· 2008 ProStart State
High School Culinary Championships: February
23, 2008 - at the Oregon Convention Center in
Portland
· Focus the Nation:
January 31, 2008 - A national teach-in about
Global Warming Solutions - Start planning for
an event today in your school. http://www.focusthenation.org/main.php
