The Moorhead High School Career Academy is is one of 40 high schools nationwide selected to receive a $5,000 grant from The Rachael Ray Foundation and the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) to enhance their ProStart culinary arts and restaurant management program with new equipment, curriculum, and experiential learning opportunities.
“This grant will be instrumental in enhancing our culinary arts program by acquiring essential equipment for our classroom, enhancing curriculum with new educational tools, funding enriching field trips, and providing hands-on experiences in the dynamic realm of hospitality and food service,” said Johanna Heigaard, a family and consumer science teacher at the Moorhead High School Career Academy. “I also aim to strengthen our connection to local food sources and emphasize sustainability in our culinary practices.”
Heigaard helped start the MHS Career Academy’s culinary program during the 2022-23 school year and worked to get it ProStart certified for 2023-24. This year, the culinary program nearly tripled its enrollment, jumping from 33 students to 90.
“Providing Grow Grants is one of my favorite times of the year. The educators who invest their passion and energy into their classrooms are inspiring. I love to see the impact their work has on the students who graduate from ProStart with the knowledge and excitement for the restaurant industry,” said Rachael Ray.
ProStart educators play a pivotal role in the program’s success in more than 2,100 high schools nationwide, blending its core curriculum with hands-on industry engagement activities, including special speakers, class mentors, and tours of local culinary facilities. The 2024 grant application was open to existing ProStart schools, or those looking to join the program in the coming school year. The NRAEF anticipates that the grants will benefit more than 3,700 students and 42 teachers across 22 states.
The state-of-the-art MHS Career Academy opened in 2021 as an extension of the Moorhead High School campus. The school focuses on hands-on learning and allows students to explore career pathways and take personalized courses.