Celebrity chef visits Buffalo Grove High School culinary students

Celebrity chef Jaime Laurita visited students in Buffalo Grove's award-winning culinary program, ProStart, last month.

Laurita is a graduate of the prestigious Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. He continued his education and honed his expertise by studying food in the kitchens of master chefs in Italy and France.

Laurita spoke to the culinary students in April about his career cooking on tour for musicians such as Madonna, Sting, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Aerosmith. He also provided the ProStart students with a hands-on cooking lesson, working with the student chefs.

ProStart is a national, two-year program for high school students that develops the best and brightest talent into tomorrow's industry leaders. From culinary techniques to management skills, ProStart's industry-driven curriculum provides real-world educational opportunities and builds practical skills that will last a lifetime.

The curriculum is industry relevant, addresses necessary critical skills, meets Illinois State Board of Education learning standards, and offers nationally recognized certifications. District 214 students earn an Illinois Sanitation License, early college credit for both levels of coursework and honors credit for level two of the ProStart curriculum.

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