This month, the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation announced that South Dakota
ProStart has received a $15,300 grant to support education efforts.

This generous assistance for South Dakota ProStart is
made possible by Ecolab, who donated a total of $750,000 to ProStart state partners.

ProStart is a nationwide, two-year program for high school students that develops the best and brightest talent into
tomorrow’s restaurant and hospitality industry leaders. ProStart’s industry-driven curriculum provides real-world
education and builds practical expertise for a foundation that will last a lifetime from culinary techniques to
management skills.

In South Dakota, ProStart is a joint effort of the South Dakota Department of Education, the South Dakota Retailers
Association, and the South Dakota ProStart Advisory Committee.
“ProStart is a great opportunity for high school students to learn culinary and hospitality management skills applicable in
an array of businesses, from restaurants to hotel management,” said South Dakota Retailers Association Exec. Dir.
Nathan Sanderson. “This is real-world career preparation at its finest.”

These funds can be used for everything from lessons to providing the supplies ProStart students need to continue
perfecting their culinary and restaurant management skills.
This year in the absence of an in-person culinary competition, South Dakota schools have competed in virtual contests,
including gingerbread house construction, social media restaurant promotion, entrée plating, table scape design, and
fruit and vegetable centerpiece carving.

“These students work extremely hard throughout the year and develop strong workforce skills,” said South Dakota
ProStart Coordinator Seanna Regynski. “South Dakota ProStart and the South Dakota Retailers Association are excited
about what this generous gift means for our program.”

The participating ProStart Schools include:

Aberdeen A-TEC, Alcester-Hudson High School, Brookings High School, Clark High School, Harrisburg High School, Huron
High School, Madison Central High School, Mitchell CTE Academy, Mobridge-Pollock High School, Northeast Technical
School (Watertown), T. F. Riggs High School (Pierre), SD Virtual School, Sioux Falls CTE Academy, Sturgis Brown High
School, Todd County High School, and Wagner High School