Miami Academy of Hospitality and Tourism prepares for its 20th Anniversary Celebration. On Friday, October 19th, 2007, M-DCPS' Academy of Hospitality and Tourism (AOHT) will celebrate its 20th Anniversary with a luncheon at the Hyatt Regency Downtown Miami Hotel... click here for more information
Miami Academy of Hospitality & Tourism prepares for its 20th Anniversary Celebration
On Friday, October 19, 2007, M-DCPS' Academy of Hospitality and Tourism (AOHT) will celebrate its 20th Anniversary with a luncheon at the Hyatt Regency Downtown Miami Hotel. Established at Miami Springs Senior High School nearly 20 years ago through a partnership
between the American Express Philanthropic Foundation and M-DCPS, the AOHT went on to become of the two initial National Academy Foundation (NAF) AOHT's. Since its inception, the number of AOHT's has grown to six in the district and 111 nationwide. The District's AOHT's
continue to enjoy a substantial partnership with our local tourism industry inclusive of Carnival Cruse Lines, The Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau, and many others. Thanks to these collaborations, our AOHT's benefit from an industry-standards curriculum, financial
support, as well as shadowships and internships for Academy students. Consequently, the AOHT's serve as an exemplar of the district's Secondary School Reform initiative.
Miami Beach High School Academy of Hospitality and Tourism Students “Smash the Box” at National Competition
Miami Beach, FL -- At the Lodging Management National Competition sponsored by the American Hotel and Lodging Association (AH&LA), the team from the Miami Beach High School Academy of Hospitality and Tourism demonstrated their lodging management skills in front of the President of the AH&LA, Joe McInerney and the President of the Educational Institute, Robert Steele who both served as judges.
During the three-day competition held at the Orlando Airport Marriott, the students completed a Hospitality Project (an event plan) that included coordinating everything from its theme, invitation, menu, budget and floor plan based on a scenario given to them upon registration. The Hotel Operations category included analyzing two case studies in Food and Beverage and Sales and Marketing, a night audit and a hotel room inspection. The third category is a Hospitality Knowledge Bowl, a game show-style question and answer event. The Miami Beach High School team received First Place in the Hospitality Project event and First Place in Hotel Operations which was enough to win them 2nd place in the overall category. The members of the team are: Melissa Tatta (team captain), Hanibegk Coll, Vanessa Fernandez and Karl Laxy. Each member of the team was awarded an $8,000 scholarship to Johnson & Wales University, $5,000 to the University of Houston, $8,000 to Widener University, $6,000 to San Diego State University and $10,000 to Paul Smith’s College in New York. Sincere thanks to our business and educational partners: Loews Miami Beach Hotel, Biscayne Bay Marriott, Greater Miami and the Beaches Hotel Association, South Florida and Treasure Coast Restaurant and Lodging Association, and St. Thomas University.
The AOHT is a Marketing program under the auspices of the Career and Technical Education Department and a member program of the National Academy Foundation (NAF), a national network of career academies to support the development of America’s youth toward personal and professional success in high school, higher education and throughout their careers. Miami-Dade County Public Schools has eight Academies of Hospitality and Tourism. For additional information on the Miami Beach High School Academy program, contact the Career and Technical Education Chairperson, Dr. Lupe Ferran Diaz.
HOSPITALITY CONFERENCE TO WELCOME MORE THAN 600 HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
MIAMI (March 31, 2008) -- More than 600 students seeking careers in the hospitality and tourism industry will join in the 17th Annual Student Industry Conference April 24, 2008, presented by the Academy of Hospitality and Tourism. Hosted by the Miami Beach Convention Center, an SMG Managed Facility, the conference -- themed "AOHT: Celebrating the Past and Developing Leaders for the Future" -- will provide high school students who are part of the academy's program the chance to interview with prominent local companies for summer internships.
"The conference celebrates the Academy's 20 years of success and reflects the importance of industry and post-secondary leaders joining together to provide workforce development opportunities for today's students who are tomorrow's industry leaders," said Orlando Velazquez, Jr., CHA, CAM, chair of the event and area general manager for Ian Schrager Company.
A highlight of the conference will be keynote speaker Stuart L. Blumberg, president and CEO of Greater Miami and the Beaches Hotel Association and one of the Academy's founders. Industry partners also will participate in a college/careerfair and interview eligible juniors for the summer internship program.
Two concurrent breakout sessions will be presented to the students by a variety of industry leaders: Conrad Miami, Florida National College, Four Seasons Hotel, Holiday Inn Miami International Airport, Hyatt Regency Miami, Ian Schraeger Company of Hotels, Johnson and Wales University, Loews Miami Beach Resort, Miami Seaquarium, Marriott Miami Airport, Miami-Dade Aviation Department, Miami-Dade College, Miami Beach Convention Center, an SMG Managed Facility, Park One, St. Thomas University and the Visitor Industry Council.
Host sponsors are the Miami Beach Convention Center, Centerplate and Smart Source. Contributing sponsors include Arazoza & Fernandez-Fraga, PA, Beach Towing, Inc. BGW Design Limited, Joseph T. Comras, Conrad Miami, Delano Hotel, Don Shulas Hotel & Golf Club, EMF & Associates, Inc., Four Seasons Hotel, Gerson, Preston, Robinson & Company, PA, Greater Miami & the Beaches Hotel Association, Hyatt Regency Miami, Joe's Stone Crab Restaurant, Loews Miami Beach Hotel, Miami Beach Golf Club, Sea View Hotel, Inc., Sofitel Miami and The Biltmore Hotel.
Academy of Hospitality and Tourism programs are member programs of the National Academy Foundation (NAF), an industry-supported nonprofit, which seek out and support partnerships between business and public schools to create career academies.
Locally, an industry advisory board provides career-connecting activities and guides the programs. Miami-Dade County academies are located at John A. Ferguson Senior High School, Homestead Senior High School, Miami Beach Senior High School, Miami Norland Senior High School, Miami Springs Senior High School and Robert Morgan Educational Center.
Companies interested in college/career fair space or interviewing academy members at the conference are asked to contact Ann Fields at 305-885-8127.
Media Contact: Stuart Newman Associates, (305) 461-3300
Conference Contact: Ann Fields, 305-885-8127 or Eric Eimstad, (305) 365-2512
Miami Beach High Academy of Hospitality and Tourism
Wins at State Lodging Management Championship
Miami Beach, FL—January 31, 2008. The four-member student team of Odin Porras, Katherine Rubio, Melissa Tatta and Dilia Tabora proved that study and hard work does pay off! As a result, these Miami Beach High School students won several awards at the state championship of the Lodging Management Program student competition sponsored by the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association under the auspices of The Educational Institute of the American Hotel & Lodging Association. Special thanks to industry partners who helped the students prepare for the competition: Loews Miami Beach Hotel and Professor Paul Michael Klein, St. Thomas University.
The championship took place at the Amelia Island Plantation in conjunction with the Board of Directors meeting of the Florida Restaurant and Hotel Association. This exciting, two-day competition allowed competitors to demonstrate their hospitality knowledge by competing in a knowledge bowl, complete room inspections, night audit tasks, analyze two case studies (one in Food and Beverage and the other in Sales and Marketing) as well as demonstrate their knowledge, skills and abilities in planning an event, to include the invitation, BEO (Banquet Event Order), menu and floor plan. Miami Beach High School placed first in Hospitality Project; second place in Hotel Operations and a 2nd place overall winner. Each team member received a $750 scholarship, renewable for four years, to Johnson & Wales University.
Miami Beach Senior High School is a member program of the National Academy Foundation (NAF), a national network of career academies to support the development of America’s youth toward personal and professional success in high school, higher education and throughout their careers. Locally, through the School Choice and Parental Options Office, Miami-Dade County Public Schools has six Academies of Hospitality and Tourism. For additional information on the Miami Beach High School Academy program, contact the Lead Teacher, Dr. Lupe Ferran Diaz.
Launched in 1987, the Academy of Hospitality & Tourism prepares students for post-secondary education and careers through a theme-based, contextualized curriculum approach. Academic learning experiences are combined with hands-on work experience to help students develop the thinking and problem-solving skills critical to post-secondary education and career success.
The Academy provides public high school students with the requisite knowledge and skills for a successful career in one of the world's largest service industries, through a curriculum that provides an in-depth look at all aspects of tourism and hospitality, including coursework in business, geography, hospitality, and economics. The Academy of Hospitality & Tourism operates as a small learning community and is located in more than 110 high schools nationwide.
The World's Largest Industry As one of the world's largest industries, hospitality and tourism offers a wide variety of career choices to employees at every experience level. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, employment was at an all-time high of 12,125,000 in 2003. Moreover, the employment boom is expected to continue; occupational forecasts indicate an increase of 17.8 percent through 2012, and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis shows that total sales of U.S. tourism industries grew 11.6 percent ($20.5 billion) to $757.7 billion in the first quarter of 2004, exceeding the overall tourism sales for the industry's peak in fourth quarter 2000.
Meeting the Needs
The need for academic instruction and practical industry-related work experience to prepare young people to enter this exciting field is more critical than ever. Through their Academy experience, students gain an understanding of the connections that exist between their education and the workplace. Academy teachers and industry mentors provide students with the curriculum and guidance necessary for rewarding careers. With more than 500 travel-related companies participating as business partners, the Academy fosters the personal, analytical, technical and communications skills needed for a career path in hospitality and tourism.
Calendar of Events 
2009-04-21
The Academy provides public high school students with the requisite knowledge and skills for a successful career in one of the world's largest service industries, through a curriculum that provides an in-depth look at all aspects of tourism and hospitality, including coursework in business, geography, hospitality, and economics. The 
As one of the world's largest industries, 
Meeting the Needs