The Maryland State Department of Education supports local school systems statewide which provide educational options for high school students who choose career pathways in hospitality and tourism. Food and beverage, lodging, attractions and recreation, convention/destination/event management, and travel management/coordination are recognized pathways (visit Maryland Career Clusters).  For example, through a partnership with the National Academy Foundation (NAF), Maryland’s Academy of Hospitality and Tourism offers an in-depth look at all aspects of travel, tourism and hospitality, including coursework in geography, economics and systems applications. Maryland high schools provide the following educational opportunities:

• American Culinary Federation Foundation
  The American Culinary Federation Foundation (ACFF) offers educational resources to help individuals and businesses achieve and maintain a competitive advantage in the culinary industry. The ACFF Accrediting Commission (ACFFAC) certifies secondary school culinary programs. Certified schools in Maryland include:

• Anne Arundel - Center for Applied Technology North
• Montgomery - Damascus High School, Edison High School, Paint Branch High School
• Washington - Washington County Technical High School

For an up-to-date link to ACFF certified programs in Maryland, click here .

• Lodging Management Program  
  The Lodging Management Program (LMP), developed by the American Hotel and Lodging Education Institute (AHLEI) provides 11th and 12th grade high school students with the classroom learning and real-life work experience needed to tap into a great career in lodging. Applicants are encouraged to attain further studies in an accredited undergraduate hospitality management degree-granting program as well as distance learning courses and professional certification offered by the AHLEI. LMP schools include:

• Baltimore City- Lake Clifton/Eastern High School 

For an up-to date link to the American Hotel and Lodging Educational Foundation’s national data base, the Hospitality and Tourism High School Registry, click here .

• National Academy Foundation
  The National Academy Foundation’s (NAF) Academy of Hospitality and Tourism was established in 1987 through support from the American Express Foundation to expose high school students to the wide variety of opportunities and career paths in the industry. In addition to required academic courses, students take specialized industry-related courses each semester and a college level course in their senior year. Each summer students work as paid interns in hotels, museums, travel centers, tourism bureaus, sports facilities, and other industry settings. NAF Academy of Hospitality and Tourism schools include:      

  • Anne Arundel- North County High School
  • Baltimore City- National Academy Foundation High School
  • Montgomery- Blake High School, Edison High School, Sherwood High School

  For an up-to-date link to NAF’s national data base of Academies of Hospitality and Tourism, click here.

• ProStart 
  The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation has developed the ProStart program to help meet industry workforce needs. ProStart encourages high school students to consider careers in the restaurant and foodservice industry. ProStart schools include:

  • Allegany- Allegany High School, Fort Hill High School, Mountain Ridge High School
  • Baltimore City- Carver Vocational Technical High School, Edmondson-Westside High School, Forest Park High School, Kennedy Krieger High School, McMechen High School, Mergenthaler Vocational High School, National Academy Foundation High School, St. Francis Academy
  • Baltimore- Carver Center for the Arts and Technology, Eastern Technical High School, Sollers Point Technical High School, The Strawbridge School, Western School of Technology
  • Caroline- Caroline County Career and Technology Center
  • Carroll- Carroll County Career and Technology Center
  • Cecil- Bohemia Manor High School, Cecil County Career and Technology Center, Elkton High School, North East High School, Perryville High School, Rising Sun High School
  • Howard- Atholton High School, Centennial High School, Glenelg High School, Hammond High School, Howard High School, Long Reach High School, Marriotts Ridge High School, Oakland Mills High School, Reservoir High School, River Hill High School, Wilde Lake High School
  • Kent- Kent County High School
  • Montgomery- Clarksburg High School, Damascus High School, Edison High School, Einstein High School, Gaithersburg High School, Johnson High School, Kennedy High School, Magruder High School, Montgomery High School, Northwest High School, Paint Branch High School, Quince Orchard High School, Rockville High School, Sherwood High School, Springbrook High School, The Katherine Thomas School, Watkins Mill High School, Wheaton High School, Whitman High School, Wootton High School
  • Prince George’s- Bowie High School, Central High School, Fairmount Heights High School, Forestville Military Academy High School, Flowers High School, Gwynn Park High School, High Point High School, Largo High School, Parkdale High School, Potomac High School, Roosevelt High School, Tall Oaks High School, Wise High School
  • Washington- Clearspring High School, Hancock High School, North Hagerstown High School, South Hagerstown High School, Williamsport High School

  For an up-to-date link to the Maryland Hospitality Education Foundation’s data base of ProStart participating schools, visit www.mhef.org/spectrum/teacher/part_schools.htm 

  MORE INFORMATION: For more information on hospitality and tourism educational opportunities provided in Maryland’s high schools, contact:

  Nina Roa, Specialist
  Career and Technology Education
  Maryland State Department of Education
  200 West Baltimore Street
  Baltimore, MD 21201
  410 767-1904
  410 333-2099 fax
  nroa@msde.state.md.us