Wednesday, March 1, 2017 – Sergeant Bluff, IA – A team of students from Sergeant Bluff-Luton High School were crowned Restaurant Management Champions of the 2017 Iowa ProStart Invitational hosted by the Iowa Restaurant Association Education Foundation. The event was held at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines and showcased the managerial skills and business saavy the students have learned over the course of the school year. The team will represent Iowa at the National ProStart Invitational in Charleston, SC, April 28-30, where 400 students from across the country will be competing for millions of scholarship dollars. “Shark Tank” Style Management Competition Students were challenged to create an original restaurant concept from scratch. They created business proposals and then pitched their concept to a panel of Iowa restaurant industry professionals who judged their concept, teamwork, presentation skills and critical thinking abilities. Runners-up in the management competition included: 2^nd place – Davenport Community Schools 3^rd place – Hampton-Dumont High School   ProStart – Equal Parts Hands-On Culinary Training and Entrepreneurial Education ProStart® is a nationwide, two-year, career and technical education program that develops high school students into tomorrow’s leaders and workforce. Similar to the AP model in other academic areas, it includes national certification exams, grants post-secondary credits and an industry-recognized credential. It’s equal parts entrepreneurial/management education and hands-on culinary arts training. ProStart students learn practical skills, build business savvy, and develop leadership abilities in the classroom so they can walk into the real world ready to make an impact in the hospitality industry and beyond.

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Iowa Restaurant Association Education Foundation (IRAEF) The IRAEF is the leading education resource for the development of a professional and highly-skilled hospitality workforce in the state of Iowa, building connections between educational entities and industry employers seeking trained, qualified students and job candidates.

Media Contact: Katelyn Kostek Public Relations Specialist Iowa Restaurant Association Work: 515-276-1454 Cell:515-988-5102 kkostek@restaurantiowa.com