Yum-o! and the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) Announce 2011 Scholarships

(Chicago, IL) — In partnership with the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF), Rachael Ray’s Yum-o! organization is pleased to announce Yum-o!’s 2011 scholarship initiative, which will provide funds to high school students committed to pursuing a career in the restaurant and foodservice industry. 

This summer, Yum-o! will award ten $2,500 scholarships to graduating high school seniors who are planning to enroll in a post-secondary foodservice program. Applications will be accepted through August 17, 2011.

Through Yum-o!, Rachael Ray is encouraging kids and families to make healthy and nutritious choices when it comes to cooking and eating. Applicants are encouraged to share their vision of a healthy relationship with food and cooking and share their interests in health and nutrition as part of their personal statement.

The NRAEF’s Scholarships Program awards $1.7 million annually to high school and undergraduate students and educators committed to furthering their education or professional development in restaurant and foodservice management. The NRAEF’s programs have proven successful at recruiting and training the workforce needed to meet the industry’s growth – 3 out of 4 students who have received an NRAEF scholarship are still studying and/or working in the industry.

About the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation
As the philanthropic foundation of the National Restaurant Association, the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) enhances the restaurant industry’s service to the public through education, community engagement, and promotion of career opportunities. The restaurant and foodservice industry is comprised of 945,000 restaurant and foodservice outlets and a workforce of 13 million employees, making it one of the nation’s largest employers. The NRAEF is focused on working with the Association to lead America’s restaurant industry into a new era of prosperity, prominence and participation by providing the valuable tools and resources needed to educate our current and incoming employees. For more information on the NRAEF, visit www.nraef.org.

About the Yum-o! Organization
Yum-o!® is Rachael Ray’s nonprofit organization that empowers kids and their families to develop healthy relationships with food and cooking by teaching families to cook, feeding hungry kids and funding cooking education and scholarships. By providing the tools to create easy, affordable and delicious meals, Yum-o! is changing the way America eats. For more information about the Yum-o! organization, please visit www.yum-o.org.

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