In South Dakota and around the nation, high school students are receiving an excellent foundation for careers in the foodservice industry through the ProStart® program. ProStart® - administered by the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) - is a two-year high school management curriculum focused on restaurant and foodservice courses. The program blends classroom learning and mentored work experience. Nationwide, 90,000 high school students at more than 1,700 schools in 47 states and territories are enrolled in the program. South Dakota's ProStart® has been in place since 2007, when the South Dakota Retailers Association agreed to establish and coordinate the program. Through this school to work program, students learn an amazing array of information that is essential to operating a good business, and they develop impressive skills. Even those students who ultimately don’t choose a career in the foodservice industry become better prepared to become leaders in the workplace. If your school would like to learn more information about this amazing program, please contact the SD ProStart Coordinator, Seanna Regynski at 1-800-658-5545.
