RI ProStart | NAREF

The Prostart Program

Feeding Dreams.
Building Futures.

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

Restaurants are an industry of opportunity

By bringing industry and classroom together, ProStart gives students a platform to discover new interests and talents and opens doors for fulfilling careers. It all happens through a curriculum that teaches all facets of the restaurant and foodservice industry, inspires students to succeed and sets a high standard of excellence for students and the industry.

With national and local support from industry members, educators, the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation and state restaurant associations, ProStart reaches 90,000 students nationwide.

ProStart Credential - National Certificate of Achievement

The ProStart National Certificate of Achievement is an industry recognized certificate awarded to students who have completed the requirements of the ProStart program.

To earn the ProStart National Certificate of Achievement, students complete the two-year ProStart program, pass two national exams, demonstrate mastery of foundational skills and work 400 mentored hours.

Students who receive the certificate are eligible for National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation scholarship opportunities and course credits at more than 75 of the country’s leading hospitality and culinary arts colleges and universities.

Being a member of the ProStart has opened up so many doors for me that I could not have opened myself

Keyla Dehoyos
Former ProStart Student