ORLAEF'S PROSTART INVITATIONAL

March 2, 2020 | Salem Convention Center
​​Every spring students put their skills to the ultimate test at the ORLAEF’s ProStart® Invitational, the capstone event for the career and technical education (CTE) foodservice training program, ProStart. The event is hosted by the Education Foundation of the Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association (ORLAEF) and made possible by generous contributions from industry supporters including Sysco, Title Sponsor of the Invitational. 

High school ProStart teams from across Oregon gather to compete in two distinct events: the Culinary Competition and the Management Competition. Stakes are high as teams vie for scholarships and a chance to travel to Washington, D.C. for the National ProStart Invitational. 
  • Management Competition - Teams develop a concept for a new restaurant and present it to judges from industry and post-secondary education. Students are evaluated on their concept, marketing strategies, menu, recipes and food costs, operations and critical thinking skills.
  • Culinary Competition - Teams develop a unique menu for a three-course meal, complete with recipes and food costs, and prepare that meal in 60 minutes using two butane burners—with no electricity or running water. They are evaluated on their menu, degree of difficulty, food safety and sanitation, knife skills, cooking procedures, food costing, teamwork, taste and presentation of their meal.​​​

Want to volunteer? Contact Wendy Popkin, Executive Director, at WPopkin@OregonRLA.org with questions on how to be more involved in this event and the ProStart program.
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​Thank you 2020 Major Sponsors: 
2019 PROSTART INVITATIONAL RESULTS

Willamette High School won top honors in the culinary competition at the ORLAEF ProStart Invitational, sponsored by Sysco Portland on March 18, 2019 in Salem. The team from South Salem High School took first in the management team competition and swept up two category awards for concept and professional presentation. Both first place teams competed in the 2019 National ProStart Invitational® May 8-10, 2019, in Washington, D.C.
2019 Culinary Competition Placements:
  • First Place:  Willamette High School
  • Second Place: McNary High School
  • Third Place: North Salem High School
  • Fourth Place: Seaside High School
  • Fifth Place: McMinnville High School
2019 Management Competition Placements:
  • First Place: South Salem High School
  • Second Place: Century High School
  • Third Place: Willamette High School
The top three teams in each competition received awards and scholarships to further their careers in the restaurant and food industry. Total scholarship prizes offered for both culinary and management team winners placing 1st-3rd exceeds $547,500! Every student on first place teams earned scholarships at each of six schools, a total value of $23,000.​

In addition to competition placements, ProStart and Category awards were also presented at the ceremony.

2019 ProStart awards:
  • Oregon ProStart Student of the Year – Shane Wilder, Willamette High School
  • Oregon ProStart Mentor of the Year – Irina Bakun, McNary High School
  • Oregon ProStart Teacher of the Year – Chef Laura Hofer, South Salem High School

2019 Category awards:
  • Management Category, Concept - South Salem High School
  • Management Category, Professional Presentation - South Salem High School
  • Culinary Category, Teamwork - North Salem High School
  • Culinary Category, Sanitation - North Salem High School
QUICK LINKS

​- About ProStart®
- Advertising / Sponsorship
​- ProStart Schedules & Resources
​- ProStart Past Champions
​​- ProStart News Archive
​​- Podcast: ORLAEF and ProStart
- Support ORLAEF
“ProStart students learn skills - such as teamwork, communication, and decision making - that are important to success in any career they choose to pursue. They also gain a tremendous amount of self-confidence. This event is their capstone project, and it is as exciting to watch as any sports tournament.”
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– Wendy Popkin, Executive Director, ORLAEF