Summer InstitutesEducator
Professional Development

Hone your culinary and restaurant management instruction skills.

The NRAEF's Summer Institutes are now digital! These online courses offer educators the opportunity to learn from nationally recognized faculty, network with peers and obtain continuing education credits to strengthen their foodservice education skills. With in-depth demonstration and lecture instruction, educators learn how to apply their course's takeaways to their own classrooms.

Registration for 2022 Summer Institutes is open from Monday, March 7 through Wednesday, May 18, 2022.

Summer Institutes 2022 Course Details

2022 Participating Sites

To prioritize the safety of all our participating educators and hosts due to the continuing concerns regarding COVID-19, the NRAEF will offer Summer Institutes 2022 through a digital learning platform.

While educators won’t be traveling to our partner post-secondary institutions, all your favorite instructors are still participating! Join a Summer Institutes course online for lectures and demonstrations from a variety of past hosts.

We welcome back our 2021 virtual host sites for another successful program in 2022.

Culinary Institute of Virginia, Norfolk, VA
Madison College, Madison, WI
Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ
St. Paul College, St. Paul, MN
University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC

Digital Course Features

Attendees will have access to an interactive digital learning platform that allows for:

Self-paced learning and review of instructional curriculum, video demonstrations, lectures and supplemental materials
Real time connection, collaboration and networking with peer educators
Live demonstrations and office hours with our post-secondary instructors for hands-on practice and to ask questions regarding self-paced materials
A digital exam

How to Register

Registration will be open from Monday, March 7 through Wednesday, May 18, 2022. Educators may register for digital access to a Level 1, 2, or 3 course. Each course level will be offered across the following three weeks:

Sunday, June 19 – Friday, June 24, 2022
Sunday, June 26 – Friday, July 1, 2022
Sunday, July 10 – Friday, July 15, 2022

The cost to attend Summer Institutes is $400 per week-long course. Spotlight Series courses are not available for the 2022 program.

The Professional Development Grant Application for 2022 Summer Institutes will be available at nraef1.communityforce.com from Monday, January 3rd through Monday, January 31st, 2022.

Summer Institutes 2022 Course Levels

Learn more about each course level and view sample agendas below.

LEVEL 1 - Beginner

Begins with an overview of the restaurant and foodservice industry, and leads into kitchen and management essentials.

Prerequisite: None. Educators can waive out of Level 1.

View sample Level 1 agenda

Download Level 1 waiver

LEVEL 2 - Advanced

Topics include core culinary techniques, operational excellence and career basics.

Prerequiste: Completion of Level 1, or level 1 waiver.

View Sample Level 2 Agenda

Download level 1 waiver

LEVEL 3 - Mastery

Prerequisite: Completion of Level 1 or waiver, and Level 2.

Concludes culinary techniques, before branching into timely topics like sustainability and global cuisines.

View sample Level 3 agenda

Frequently Asked Questions

What are Summer Institutes?

Summer Institutes provide technical and professional instruction for restaurant and foodservice educators. The goal is to provide educators with a digital forum to learn cutting-edge skills they can apply to the classroom and offer an opportunity to network with teachers from across the country, share best practices and expand classroom-learning activities. These week-long, intensive online workshops are delivered by industry experts from post-secondary institutions across the country.

Who can attend?

Any secondary-level educator teaching foodservice, culinary education, and/or restaurant management programs. Typically, attending educators are Career and Technical Education (CTE) or Family and Consumer Sciences (FACS) instructors seeking to improve their skillsets to bring back to the classrooms.

What is the cost to attend?

Registration for Summer Institutes Levels 1-3 is $400.00 and includes:

Summer Institutes level-specific curriculum
Video lecture and demonstration content
Live demonstrations and office hours with your post-secondary instructors
Supplemental instruction resources and materials
Access to the digital learning platform and exam
Virtual opening reception and orientation
26 Continuing Education Hours (CEHs) certified by the American Culinary Federation
Certificate of Completion from NRAEF

Please note: The course can be conducted from anywhere with an internet connection; therefore, no additional costs are covered by the Registration fee.

See All Questions