PLAN FOR THE NEW YEAR

CAFÉ will once again offer a variety of professional development opportunities for foodservice instructors and trainers in the coming year. What makes our events unique? Why should you choose to attend a CAFÉ event?

Our host schools are chosen for their geographic location as well as their ability to showcase their facility and faculty. This results in educators being exposed to different ways of teaching in different environments—all useful when planning how to maximize your own training facilities.
Topics are chosen to reflect what you are interested in to either introduce something new to your curriculum or to reinforce topics which might need some updating. Past topics have included front-of-the-house, catering operations, regional cuisines, sustainability, chocolate, and many more. CAFÉ asks you what you want/need and then designs a week-end workshop and/or master classes around that feedback.

CAFÉ offers more than one opportunity per year to interact with your peers. Events have been scheduled in spring, summer, and fall. While the annual conference is always in late June, the workshops have offered diversified topics, different regions, and are spread throughout the year. Attendees are even awarded a $100 discount for a second CAFÉ event attended in a year.
CAFÉ prides itself on its scholarship and award programs for instructors which allow more individuals to participate in our events even in the light of diminishing professional development funding by school districts.
CAFÉ’s sponsors and partners have been extraordinarily generous when it comes to providing educational materials, chef jackets, and knife kits to attendees of our events.
All events offer ACF continuing education units as well as CEUs so that your time is documented and awarded as you work towards your professional goals.

Topics, time of year, affordable registration fees, educational resources, a supporting website and online magazine, and a full-time Executive Director of the organization are just some of the reasons we believe that preparing for a CAFÉ event each year is worth your while!

Next Year’s Events include:

June 22-24, 2012	Best Practices in Education Symposium and Annual Leadership Conference Hosted by: Culinary Institute of American/San Antonio
July 27-29, 2012	Sustainability/Part 2 Hosted by Seattle Culinary Academy/ Seattle
August 3-5, 2012	TBD
October 19-12, 2012	The Science of Food Hosted by Johnson & Wales University/Charlotte

Scholarships and Awards Information can be found at http://cafemeetingplace.com/scholarshipsawards.html

Contests

The Chilean Avocado Importers Association (CAIA) invites culinary students across the country to sharpen their knives, show off their skills and come up with their most creative avocado dish for a chance to win up to $1,000. The annual Culinary Student Recipe Contest runs from September 15 through December 15, and provides budding chefs with the opportunity to create their own original dish using nutritious and versatile Chilean Hass Avocados, which are in prime season from September through February. For more information, go to http://cafemeetingplace.com/resource-center/contests/item/555-chilean-hass-avocados-launches-2011-culinary-student-recipe-contest.html

New: The National Restaurant Association is launching a new contest: “Share Your NRA Show Story” Fan Contest. The grand prize winner will win a new Kindle Fire and a $100 Kindle gift card for having the best story.

From the NRA Show’s Facebook page, participants can post a story about their experience and the story with the most likes will be selected as the grand prize winner. To enter, go to www.facebook.com/NationalRestaurantAssociationShow between November 18 and December 16th.

Job Opening

There is a new job opening on CAFÉ’s website listed for the Art Institute of San Antonio. Check it out by going http://cafemeetingplace.com/resource-center/job-board/item/587-culinary-academic-department-director-at-the-art-institute-of-san-antonio.html.

You can post openings by contacting the CAFÉ office. There is no charge for listing the openings.

Congratulations!

Brent Frei, CAFÉ’s Editor of “The Gold Medal Classroom” has been awarded “The Betty” by the International Foodservice Editorial Council (IFEC). IFEC is an organization of food publicists and industry editorial directors and awards the Betty for outstanding service to the profession and the organization. Congratulations, Brent!

And more congrats are in order for our webmaster, Camila Garcia, who gave birth on November 4 to a healthy baby boy!

It’s been a bountiful month for CAFÉ and we are thankful for the support of our friends and colleagues!