High School Chefs Set Their Sights On the Best Teen Chef Competition 2008

The International Culinary Schools at The Art Institutes are summoning the best teen chefs across the U.S. and Canada to strut their culinary chops in The Art Institutes Best Teen Chef Competition 2008.

Open to high school seniors in the U.S. and Canada, the Best Teen Chef Competition was created to encourage and recognize young culinary talent.

Now in its ninth year, the Best Teen Chef Competition awards more than $250,000 in tuition scholarships to The Art Institutes schools.

Top prize winners in the Competition can win a full-tuition scholarship toward an associate's degree, certificate or diploma program, to study culinary arts at one of the more than 30 participating Art Institute locations.

According to Chef Michael Nenes, Assistant Vice President of Culinary Arts for The Art Institutes, this year the stakes are higher than ever before for the young competitors. “As the Competition has built a reputation in the past eight years, the skill level of those students entering has risen exponentially.“

In addition to a full-tuition scholarship and the title of Best Teen Chef 2008, the first place winner in the national competition, in partnership with Food Network, will be an "Intern for a Day" at the Food Network Kitchens in New York City. The winner will also receive a tour of the Food Network Studios, dinner for two at a Food Network chef's restaurant and a library of Food Network Kitchens cookbooks.
To be eligible to participate in the Competition, high school seniors must first send a complete Entry & Release Form to The Art Institute school where they wish to enter the competition or fill out an online entry form at http://www.artinstitutes.edu/Competitions/BestTeenChef.aspx?prid=btc_1207_004_pr, by February 8, 2008. Deadline for entries to be received into the competition is February 29, 2008.

Local Best Teen Chef Cook-off Competitions will be held at participating Art Institutes locations on April 12, 2008.

The National Best Teen Chef Final Round Competition will be held on Saturday, May 17, 2008, at The Art Institute of Las Vegas.

For more information on The Best Teen Chef Competition, visit http://www.artinstitutes.edu/Competitions/BestTeenChef.aspx?prid=btc_1207_004_pr