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Texas ProStart Teacher Roundtables

A Chapter Guide to Planning Your Next Roundtable

Developed by Texas Restaurant Association Education

Foundation ProStart Committee

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Teacher Roundtables – A guide to planning your next roundtable

TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction ........................................................................................................................................ 3

Steps to Coordinating Your Next Roundtable ..................................................................................... 3

Ideas for Your Roundtable ................................................................................................................. 5

Sample Agendas (Templates) ........................................................................................................... 7

Sample Invitations/Flyers (Templates) .............................................................................................. 10

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What is a teacher roundtable? Roundtables are events coordinated by <___Chapter> of the Texas Restaurant Association that create an open forum for educators, the TRAEF, and the local restaurant community to connect, network, and share experiences. Local chapters of the Texas Restaurant Association work with local Texas ProStart Schools. As part of these events, local chapters of the Texas Restaurant Association work with local Texas ProStart Schools to provide support when needed. Steps to Coordinating your Roundtable: 1. Identify Texas ProStart schools and coordinating educator. Contact Texas ProStart coordinator

Yvonne Loya for the most current list of Texas ProStart schools in your area. Email: Yloya@tramail.org, 512/457.4100.

2. Check for conflicting chapter dates and determine a date for your roundtable. Make sure schools do not have major school boards meetings or functions and these dates are not conflicting with other chapter events in your local area.

3. Establish your agenda. (see page 7 for sample agendas and ideas). Topics may include: • Discuss local chapter’s education committee goals (see Education Committee guidelines on pg. 7) • Discuss of support for ProStart Regional and State Competitions • Relevant information and/or updates from the state office • ProStart “How to Get Started” & Student ProStart Video on Texas Restaurant Association’s You

Tube Channel • Exchange of Needs and Offerings between Educators, Chefs, Local Chapter, Restaurateurs and

Associates • Discuss TRA and local scholarships, TRA’s Educator Excellence award, TRAEF’s Culinary

Educators Training Conference dates • Pair schools with liaisons (assign individual chapter education committee members to each school

to provide support and mentorship for each school) • Form a local speakers bureau with local chapter members and provide a list of topics to educators

with contact information on local members willing to speak to students • Offer information on local field trips or restaurant tours students can participate in • Have guest speakers provide an educational segment on any given topic (i.e. Chef Demos,

Restaurant member discussing what they look for in a good employee) • Volunteer opportunities for students

4. Secure location for your roundtable. Locations can vary from member restaurants to hotels to local Texas ProStart schools. Seek contributions from local members willing to donate space and offer food and beverage at a discounted rate.

5. Confirm your Menu. Confirm menu with your location very early on to avoid last minute catastrophes. If budget is an issue, try working with location or local vendors to get product/beverages donated. Again, educators love to be wined and dined. If you are offering food and drinks, you are more likely to get a good turnout.

6. Run date by local education committee members as they will be attending to network and support educators. It is a good rule of thumb to have local education committee members present to not only run the meeting but to build relationships with local Texas ProStart schools.

7. Create Invitations or flyer to send to schools. Reach out to the TRAEF staff to obtain a list of local schools in your area. Most invitations can be emailed to educators. (see page 10 for sample flyers/invitations).

8. Invite educators - Invitations should be sent out as early as you can so that you can get a more accurate count. Educators love to be wined and dined. If you are offering food and drinks, you are more likely to get a good turnout. Weeknights and weekdays are more likely to bring higher attendance than weekends as we have discovered educators do not like to give up their weekends.

RSVPs and follow up calls – If you’re down to the wire, charge your board members with making a handful of phone calls. Educators are more likely to RSVP if they receive a personal phone call from a board member. It may even be a good suggestion to make phone calls from the very beginning if the program is new to your area. This may help drive interest.

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9. Have door prizes, giveaways, or raffles. It should be fairly easy to get gift certificate from local restaurant members or prizes from local vendors. Use prizes to make and impact and create excitement.

10. Contact TRAEF. Before your event, contact Yvonne Loya at TRAEF to ask if there are any current events, updates, handouts to pass along to local educators. Yvonne will email updates and/or mail handouts.

Ideas for Teacher Roundtables

1. Invite Speakers to present educational topics. A good line-up will consist of the following:

o The Culinary Instructor - Invite a more seasoned professional ProStart teacher to give information on his/her program and talk about how they supervised the build out of a professional kitchen; how they engage students, share resources, and/or discuss ideas on fundraising.

o The Chapter President/Education Committee chair – Have the Chapter Education Chairman or chapter president discuss chapter support from industry side and the importance in supporting future industry leaders. What does your local chapter have in place that can be offered to local schools, i.e. scholarships, grants, mentors etc. Prepare a list of services and resources to be handed out at the meeting.

o Local Members offering educational sessions or presentations: Local Foodie magazine presenting on food photography or food journalism Local favorite restaurant chef demonstrating their signature appetizer Olive Oil company discussing their knowledge of oils and vinegars Knife experts presenting on; Knife Care, Quality, Sharpening, Skills Mexican restaurant presenting on their tamales and a Latin Flavors profile Equipment vendors discussing kitchen equipment Gluten free expert offering baking techniques or baking techniques in general An expert on the knowledge of Proteins (seafood, beef etc.) – Local vendors Personal successes from a successful restaurateur Presenter on starting a business of your own from scratch Coffee and Tea Experts talking about fundraising opportunities by student run

coffee/tea stands OR presenting and sampling varieties Produce company on the topic of produce

2. Have teacher share best practices or discussion questions. Examples include: – Any plans for spring field trips you would like to share? – What are some challenges you are facing with your program? – What plans do you have to improve your culinary program next year? – Are you trying anything new this year that you haven’t done in the past?

3. Chapter, specifically the education committee discuss committee goals for the current year and when committee meetings take place every month. Examples include, but are not limited to;

– Identifying criteria for a local mentorship program – Offering speakers – Offering support to teams competing in the Texas ProStart Invitational – Local Internship Opportunities – Sponsor TRAEF competition or provide volunteers – Discuss educator roundtables and how often the local chapter plans on coordinating them – Local Scholarships and announcing the date for a recognition dinner (if one will take place) – Offering local restaurant tours or educational field trips – Liaison assignments (your chapter or education committee may opt to assign one member to

each school in an effort to offer extended support. This member would then report issues or achievements back to the committee and seek advice from his/her colleagues.

– Announce your chapter is their resource for support and growth!

4. Assign a board member liaison to each school (if chapter chooses to do so) – Explain the role of the member liaison. Liaisons assist schools/educators with any

challenges or needs for their programs and also report any necessities to the Education Committee for additional assistance.

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5. Give updates from the state office – Keep in mind, you don’t have to know everything there is to know about Texas ProStart or the curriculum. Lean on the TRAEF to obtain updates and handouts to disseminate/announce during your event. If your chapter liaison is available (David Waddell) she may also attend and give updates. The following information can be requested from Yvonne at TRAEF:

– Industry of Opportunity and Feeding Dreams CDs – Updates on Competition (i.e. rules, letters of intent etc.) – Curriculum updates (i.e. new textbooks being released) – Needs from TRAEF (i.e. Yvonne may need program standards to be turned in. please complete

and turn in so chapter can mail to Yvonne) – Educator Excellence Award, TRA Scholarship information – TRA Marketplace information and Texas ProStart teacher access code for free registration

6. Recognize educators for a job well done, awards they may have received or winning a regional or state competition

7. Dedicate and entire roundtable dinner to working with educators on scholarships – Discussion points:

– The ins and outs of the scholarship process – Present the applications – Discuss the scoring system – Offer scholarships to one student from each campus that turns in a scholarship (budget

permitted, i.e. $1,000 is dedicated to one student at each ProStart school, with the exception that students must turn in scholarship applications. If more than one app comes from a school, top student from that school will be announced and provided scholarship but all students will be considered for general scholarship program.

– Encourage teachers to make completing scholarship forms a homework assignment to have students bring to class the next day to gain extra credit or a true assignment where students would get a zero if did not complete.

Post Events/Year Remember to:

• Follow up with Educators on any needs that were discussed • Thank any sponsors • Post photos on your chapter website of roundtables • Send Yvonne any updates, photos, stories

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Education Committee Commitment Goal: Provide outstanding support of the <chapter’s> local Texas ProStart schools and continue to provide resources to teachers and students to help further their knowledge of the restaurant industry.

Roles and Responsibilities 1. Volunteer and assist in securing volunteers for the Texas ProStart competitions and

Education committee activities 2. Serve as a Mentor/Liaison for the Texas ProStart teachers, handle requests and need for

resolution. Communicate with teacher(s) via email, phone calls, personal visits and visit student run café’s or restaurants at least 3 times during the school year.

3. Provide by email, acknowledgement of visits, teacher’s name, school, with date of communication, pertinent details of meeting and any issue resolution.

4. Committee members should attend at least 4 committee meetings; participate in the teacher roundtable(s); plan to attend at least 1 Texas ProStart competition

5. Assist in raising funds and make recommendations for sponsorship possibilities for TRAEF and competitions/educational needs, scholarships.

Chapter Education Committee Startup Checklist: Have at least 1 teacher roundtable per year Have 2 local events/fundraisers for TRAEF per year Have the students work at all events to get as much exposure as possible Have at least one event at a local Texas ProStart school or visit a Texas ProStart school at least once Feel free to use the following prompt to reach out to local schools: Dear Texas ProStart Instructor,

I’d like to introduce myself; BOARD MEMBER. I’m a member of the TRA Education Foundation Board. We are conducting a poll of all our instructors to determine the use of the Texas ProStart Curriculum in each program and also to determine your needs as a Texas ProStart Instructor. Would you please answer the following, considering all your classes: • Indicate the Percentage you use the following pieces of the curriculum: • Texas ProStart Lesson Plans:_____%

ServSave:_____% Foundations textbooks I & II:______%

• If using less than 50% in any area, can you offer an explanation: _____________________? Additional Comments: _________________________

Your honest input is imperative to our mission to provide educational opportunities for restaurant careers in Texas.

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Sample Agendas

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<Insert chapter logo here>

Proudly Announces

Fall 2018-2019 ProStart Teacher

Round Table

5:00 – 5:45 pm: “Mingle & Munchies” Snacks and drinks provided through the generous

support of <sponsor or chapter name>

5:45 – 6:30 pm: Welcome and Introduction

<chapter> Restaurant Assoc. President – <name> Education Committee Chair – <name>

6:30 – 7:00 pm: ProStart Competition

Information Updates from State Office -

ProStart Regional and State Competition Dates, Times, Locations, ProStart “How to Get Started” &

Student ProStart Video

7:00 – 8:00 pm: “Mentor Match-Up” Speed Dating Style

Exchange of Needs and Offerings between Educators, Chefs, <Chapter Name> Restaurateurs

and Associates “Find Your ‘Perfect’ Mentor Match”

8:00 – 8:30 pm: Re-Cap, Wrap-Up and Set a

Date with your Mentor <chapter> Restaurant Assoc. President – <name>

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<Insert chapter logo here>

Teacher Roundtable Agenda

<day>, <date> <time>

<location> <city>, TX

I. Welcome & Introductions <Chapter President>

o Welcome o Roundtable Introductions o School Profile Forms

II. Chapter Education Committee Goals

1. ProStart Liaison – # schools to date 2. Speaker’s Bureau 3. Competition Support 4. Scholarships 5. Restaurant tours / Educational Field Trips 6. Educator Roundtables (future dates – best day, time, etc.)

III. TRA Scholarship and TRAEF Awards

1. W. Price Jr. Scholarship 2. Educator Award 3. Culinary Educator Training Conference – <ask TRAEF for date> 4. 2019 Summer Institutes – NRAEF (find on chooserestaurants.org)

IV. Texas ProStart Regional Culinary & Management Competition

1. <dates> 2. What’s different this year?

a. <talking point> b. <talking point> c. <talking point> d. <talking point>

V. Texas ProStart State Competition

1. Date and location 2. What’s different this year? – same format as above in Regional

VI. Open Discussion

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Education Committee Teacher Roundtable Agenda

September 18, 2018 – 6:30PM

<location> <city>, TX

VII. Welcome & Recognition – GDRA Education Committee Chair Mark Davis Bailey

o Welcome o Roundtable Introductions o Recognition of Academy of Culinary Arts & Hospitality Services (Byron Nelson High

School) Management Team taking Nationals

VIII. Dinner

IX. GDRA Education Committee Goals (1st Thursday of the Month, 3:30 – 4:30) a. ProStart Liaison Assignments – Please communicate with your liaison!

i. We can provide:

1. Speaker/Expert Bureau 2. Competition Support 3. Internship Opportunities 4. Educator Roundtables 5. Scholarships and Annual Recognition Dinner 6. Restaurant tours / Educational Field Trips 7. YOUR RESOURCE FOR SUPPORT, GROWTH &

b. Taste of ProStart i. Community-wide event featuring several ProStart programs/students

ii. Mid-February iii. Steve DeShazo to present ideas/concept

X. Dallas Regional Culinary & Management Competition a. <dates>, tentatively scheduled at Hurst Convention Center

XI. State ProStart Competition a. <date and location>

XII. Guest Speakers a. <speaker>

i. Q/A b. <speaker>

i. Q/A XIII. Upcoming Teacher Roundtable Dates:

a. Dates, times, locations XIV. Door Prize Drawings/Thank you for coming!

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<Insert chapter logo here>

Texas ProStart Holiday Round Table Dinner

Agenda <location>

<time>

I. Welcome - <Education Committee Chair or Chapter President> a. Introductions b. Teachers introduce themselves and tell about what plans they have for their

culinary programs next year II. START DINNER SERVICE III. Roundtable Discussions IV. START DESSERT SERVICE V. Recap discussion of roundtable ideas VI. <year> Scholarship Applications

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Austin Restaurant Association

Teacher Round Table <date and location>

Welcome to our First Teacher Roundtable Discussion & Dinner

AGENDA

Welcome & Introductions Chapter President Overview of Committee & Commitments Chapter Education Chair School Relationships TRA Chapter Development Development

Dinner Volunteer opportunities Chapter President ProStart Update Education committee Questions & Answers Group Next Steps & Future Meetings Education Chair Adjourn Predsident <presenter agenda provided following this page>

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Austin Restaurant Association Teacher Round Table <date and location>

Presenter AGENDA

5-5:45 arrive Name badge, drinks, Flip charts around room write in program needs & dreams 6:00 pm Welcome & Introductions Chapter President 4 min. Play DVD - ProStart….Feeding Dreams - 4 min. Introduce GARA Board /Industry/assoc. reps 10 min. ask Teachers to self intro - Yrs teaching ProStart, School, # Kids in Program, 2 min. explain... Prostart Schools, you are Members.. please attend mtgs, Power Hours, Happy Hours! Overview of Committee & Commitments Chapter, Education Chair 15min. Prostart is more then Curriculum - Industry support is vital - that is why the chapter is here! <have teacher discuss how chapter supported his/her program>

How GARA has supported my program - James Beard, Donations, volunteering, Instructors MUST also reach out to make these relationships work & last Showcase Your Programs at Every Chapter Event possible 5-10min Q & A School Relationships & Volunteer Opportunities TRA Chapter Development 15min. Review Folder Contents, Visits may/not include administrations (pro/con), Mentor Program How to request, info. Needed from mbr., class visits, field trips, product demo, class/lab equip needs & donation process, 15-20min Ask teachers to read their Needs and Dreams for their programs 6:40-6:45 DINNER (Brief Break when serving - Return to discussion while guest eat) Volunteer opps. & Why we want students at events Chapter President and Ed Chair 5 min. Golf, TRAEF Golf, ATX Dinner, TRA Pres Dinner, What is expected of students (dress, behavior, certificate of volunteer hours, ) ProStart Updates TRA Staff or Ed Chair

20-25 min. Competition , Dates, Q & A, Texas ProStart Update Questions & Answers Group Next Steps & Future Meetings Ed Chair check your emails & Student Showcase Dinner Details we know Adjourn - play DVD Industry of Opportunity President

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Sample Invitations/Flyers

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<Chapter> Texas ProStart Teacher

Roundtable

<DATE> YOU WILL RECEIVE UPDATES ON: <Chapter> Scholarship Application Texas ProStart Competitions <Chapter> Mentors <Chapter> Awards

Food and Alcohol Provided.

RSVP BY <DATE> to: <email> <Phone>

<chapter logo> <sponsor logo> < TX Prostart Logo>

<time> <Location> <address>

<city, st, zip>

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<chapter logo> <sponsor logo>

<Chapter>

Texas ProStart TEACHER ROUNDTABLE

<Date>

MARK YOUR CALENDAR, & SAVE THE DATE

Location: <location>

Keep and eye on your inbox for more details, and look for more information to be posted on

<website>

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Be our Guest! Austin Area Texas ProStart Instructors Meet GARA

County Line on the Lake 5204 RR 2222 | Austin TX 78731

5-6 Happy Hour Meet & Greet | 6-8 Dinner & Discussion Compliments of the GARA Chapter

RSVP: <name/number> | <email>

• Mentors for your program • Tours and Field Trips • Student involvement in chapter events • ProStart Competition updates

Teacher Round Table Dinner <date and location> 5-8pm