The International Culinary School at The Art Institute of Las Vegas is 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, including The Art Institute of Las Vegas.

According to David Hendricksen, Academic Director of Culinary Arts, 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 of Las Vegas or fill out an online entry form at www.artinstitutes.edu/btc www.artinstitutes.edu/btc, by February 8, 2008. Deadline for entries to be received into the Competition is February 29, 2008.

A Local Best Teen Chef Cook-off Competition will be held at The Art Institute of Las Vegas 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 Best Teen Chef Competition

Anne Dean, Director of Public Relations for The Art Institute of Las Vegas at

702.992.8453 or adean@aii.edu