Opening doors to fulfilling careers

About ProStart

The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation’s ProStart program unites the foodservice industry and classroom together to offer high school students a platform to discover new interests and talents, while opening doors to fulfilling careers.

Learn About ProStart Invitational

01.

Curriculum

“Foundations of Restaurant Management and Culinary Arts” was developed by subject-matter experts and published by the NRAEF. The two levels of the curriculum – Level One and Level Two – are not designed to be sequential; this makes it possible for small schools with limited resources to offer the ProStart program to students.

02.

Connections

Connecting activities link the student’s education with real industry experience. They typically include guest speakers, tours, job shadows and competitions. In many schools, an Industry Advisory Board guides the connecting activities to ensure they are relevant to today’s industry.

03.

Work Experience

Work experience is guided by supervisors/mentors and the ProStart Work Experience Competency Checklists – a comprehensive list of fundamental skills that students learn on-the-job. Student work experience hours may be earned through a combination of after-school and/or summer jobs, school-based enterprises and service activities, such as preparing and serving food at a shelter.

04.

Assessments

More commonly known as “exams,” the ProStart program offers a written assessment for each level of the curriculum. The questions meet statistical requirements for reliability, validity and rigor and are aligned with national educational standards for Family and Consumer Science education. The assessments are administered and scored following strict protocols to ensure validity.

05.

Certification

The ProStart Certificate of Achievement (COA) is awarded to students who complete both levels of the program, pass the exams and document at least 400 hours of work experience, through which they have demonstrated workplace competency.

06.

Scholarships

ProStart students who choose to pursue post-secondary school degrees/certifications often receive special consideration for scholarships, including those awarded by NRAEF, local chapters, specific post-secondary institutions or scholarship donors, as well as at events such as the state and national ProStart Invitationals. Those who have earned the COA may qualify for even more consideration.

Certificate of Achievement

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Passport to Success

The ProStart® National Certificate of Achievement (COA) is an industry-recognized certificate that signifies a strong foundation in the basic management and culinary skills considered critical to success by industry leaders.

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Earning the ProStart National Certificate of Achievement

To earn the ProStart National COA, a student must pass the National Restaurant Association’s Year 1 and Year 2 exams, and complete 400 hours of mentored work experience.

The ProStart® National Certificate of Achievement (COA) is awarded to those students who successfully complete both the academic and the work experience requirements of the ProStart® program

Why do I need to earn a national certificate (Certificate of Achievement-COA)?

It will show future employers that you are serious about a career in the foodservice industry
It’s your FIRST credential on your way to many more
It demonstrates to others that you have met national standards
It allows you to receive credits to select colleges
It makes you eligible to compete for ProStart scholarships designated only for certificate recipients

What do I need to do to earn the industry certificate (Certificate of Achievement-COA)?

Pass the national exams for both Level 1 and Level 2
Complete 400 hours of mentored internship (Up to 200 hours can be in your school restaurant or in-school catering). Minimum 200 hours must be in a mentored worksite. Copies of pay stubs or employer letter must be documented.
Complete the Student Workplace Competency Checklist to be completed by your mentor/employer. It must be signed by your employer/mentor.
Submit items along with the completed (top part only) of the Student Work Experience Requirement Validation Form.

If I don't pass the exam, can I take it again?

Students who do not pass the exam can retest as many times as they want however, there is an examination fee for each test.

For more information about ProStart, please, contact the MRA at 508-303-9905.

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Post-Secondary Recognition

Top post-secondary schools in the nation recognize the ProStart COA and award special packages to students with the ProStart credential, including college credits, advanced placement and credit for work experience.

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Professional Development

The ProStart program also cultivates skills for educators. Professional-level training for ProStart educators is offered by the NRAEF during summer months at top colleges around the country. The weeklong “Summer Institutes” assist ProStart educators to develop cutting-edge skills and gain valuable industry knowledge. Completion of three levels of Summer Institutes, a lesson plan and documentation of at least 120 hours of industry work experience lead to the NRAEF Certified Secondary Foodservice Educator (CSFE) credential.

Additional Facts

From culinary techniques to management skills, ProStart’s industry-driven curriculum provides real-life experience and builds practical skills and a foundation that will last a lifetime.

The ProStart program began in 1997 with 100 high school students in six schools – Today, in partnership with State Restaurant Associations, ProStart is taught to nearly 120,000 students in more than 1,700 schools across 50 states, Guam and Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) schools in Europe and Asia.

Students who receive the ProStart Certificate of Achievement (COA) are eligible for NRAEF scholarship opportunities and course credits at more 60 of the country’s leading hospitality and culinary arts colleges and universities.

Each year, the NRAEF holds the annual National ProStart Invitational. It is a fast-paced competition where more than 350 top ProStart students demonstrate their mastery of restaurant leadership, culinary and management skills.

The culinary competition highlights the creative abilities of each team as they prepare a three-course meal in 60 minutes, using only two butane burners with no access to running water or electricity.

Management teams develop a business proposal for an original restaurant concept and present it to a panel of industry judges. Then, they are further tested to solve the types of challenges restaurant managers face on a daily basis.

Prostart Educators

Forty schools in Massachusetts are currently participating in ProStart with several more interested in the program. If you have interest in the ProStart School to Career Program for your high school culinary arts curriculum, please contact Jen Almeida, MRAEF Director of Education at jalmeida@themassrest.org or call (508) 573-4192.

Save the Date!

2026 MA ProStart Invitational

February 9-10, 2026
Gillette Stadium
Check-in: February 9th
2pm – 5pm
Competition: February 10th
7:30am – 2:45pm

massachusetts prostart schools

The following schools are currently participating in the ProStart curriculum. If you would like to learn more about the program, contact Jen Almeida, Director of Education.