Anderson Career & Technology Center Places in Top Five at #NPSI2022

The National ProStart Invitational® (NPSI) is the country's premier secondary school competition focused on restaurant management and culinary arts. Annually, nearly 400 student competitors put their skills to the test in front of industry leaders, NRAEF Trustees, state restaurant associations, and family and friends - all with hopes of earning coveted scholarships from the nation's best culinary and restaurant management programs.

After winning the 16th Annual South Carolina ProStart Invitational's culinary and restaurant management competitions, Anderson Career and Technology Center (ACTC) competed at NPSI and placed in the top five in each category. ACTC's Culinary Team placed 2 nd overall, while their Management Team placed 5 th . ACTC serves nearly 2,000 students from Belton-Honea Path, Palmetto, Powdersville, and Wren High Schools in the Anderson I & II School Districts.

With sponsors including Ecolab, Nestlé Professional, The Coca-Cola Company and Golden Corral, the threeday national event kicked off on Friday, May 6 and saw over 1,000 attendees, including almost 400 ProStart participants and 68 judges.

ProStart is a national two-year program offered at participating schools across the country for high school juniors and seniors interested in the culinary arts. Established in 1999, South Carolina's ProStart is run by the South Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Foundation and the National Restaurant Association Education Foundation, and provides high school and college academic credit, scholarships, and paid work opportunities for students. The program is much more than a typical high school curriculum, as it unites the foodservice industry and the classroom to teach high school students culinary skills and restaurant management principles, as well as employability skills.

Pictured (left to right): Hanna Coplickas and Kobe Powell

Pictured (left to right): Chris Moree, Storm Collins, Addison Hendrich and Miguel Garcia

How do the competitions work?

The Culinary Competition requires students to demonstrate knife skills incorporated into cooking a three-course meal in 60 minutes with only two butane burners, two eight-foot tables and without the use of electricity or running water.

The Management Competition requires students to develop a brand-new restaurant concept to pitch to a panel of industry and post-secondary judges, complete with critical thinking and verbal presentation rounds.

What do you win?

The top five teams from the culinary and managment competitions are awarded generous educational scholarships to help further their careers in the restaurant and foodservice industry. In 2022, almost $200,000 in scholarships were awarded to winning students, which can be used at the college or university of their choice.

ProStart National Educator of Excellence Awards

During the award ceremony held Sunday evening, May 8, NPSI also celebrated teachers recognized through the ProStart National Educator of Excellence Awards. With support from Golden Corral, these annual awards recognize educators that demonstrate excellence in the classroom and have a passion for helping their students make the most of the opportunities offered through the ProStart program.

Ben Rengstorf, a Roosevelt High School ProStart educator from Minneapolis, Minnesota, was named the James H. Maynard Teacher of the Year, while the following three select educators were also honored for their excellence in the following categories:

• Classroom Expertise: Stephanie Kunkel, Jackson High School, Massillon, Ohio

• Best Practice/Knowledge Sharing: Dominic Hawkes, Lancaster County School District Career Center, Lancaster, South Carolina

• Industry Connection: Daniel Wagner, Greene County Career & Technology Center, Waynesburg, Pennsylvania