The Hospitality Minnesota Education Foundation is proud to award Teri Larson of Caledonia High School with the 2024 Hospitality & Tourism Management Program Teacher of the Year!

“Teri exemplifies all of what we hope for with this program,” says Victoria Marley, Manager of Programs & Partnerships for the Hospitality Minnesota Education Foundation. “She continually goes above and beyond for her students and is dedicated to enhancing the Hospitality & Tourism Management curriculum with career-connected experiences for students.”

Beyond the curriculum, Teri:

• Brings in hospitality industry guest speakers to present in her classroom.

• Arranges mock interviews for all 10th grade students.

• Arranges hands-on hospitality business site visit field trips(this year they went to Allianz Field and Target Field)

• Is a Business Professionals of America advisor.

• Started a student-run cafe in her school.

Caledonia High School Principal, Nathan Boler, agrees and says, “Teri is always willing to step up to help out in any way. It would be tough to find a more dedicated individual.”

Congratulations and thank you, Teri!

Did you know: Hospitality is a trillion-dollar worldwide industry and critical to Minnesota’s thriving economy.

HMEF’s two high school curriculums, ProStart and the Hospitality & Tourism Management Program, foster connections between students, teachers and industry professionals to develop the next generation of hospitality leaders.

Each year the Hospitality Minnesota Education Foundation recognizes a teacher who is dedicated to enriching the Hospitality & Tourism Management program and experience for students.

About Hospitality & Tourism Management Program

The Hospitality and Tourism Management Program (HTMP) is a nationwide, high school career and technical education program uniting the classroom and hospitality industry.

HTMP provides an engaging and thorough exploration of the industry, introducing students to all segments of hospitality including lodging operations, food and beverage, event management, tourism and travel. With hospitality being a trillion-dollar worldwide industry, the text also covers business topics such as marketing, sales, finance and leadership.

In addition, the curriculum introduces math principles and application throughout and features content and activities around developing career readiness skills to help students prepare for success in the workplace!

About Hospitality Minnesota Education Foundation

Hospitality Minnesota Education Foundation (HMEF) is dedicated to providing the education, programs, and training needed to support Minnesota’s future hospitality leaders.

Founded in 2006, HMEF addresses challenges for businesses and creates opportunities for those interested in pursuing careers in the hospitality industry. At HMEF, we know the sky's the limit for our industry's future workforce.

HMEF offers two career-building programs – ProStart (culinary) and the Hospitality and Tourism Management Program – in nearly 100 high schools across Minnesota.

We don't stop there. Since 2008, we've awarded more than $880,000 in Scholarships to 372 students pursuing post-secondary education for careers in culinary, lodging, tourism and hospitality management.