Mike Erickson is a career educator, Career and Technical Education FCCLA advisor, speaker, entrepreneur, restaurant professional, cook, and now author. He has taught High School and Post Secondary education in Texas for the last 19 years for Le Cordon Bleu, Austin Community College, and  now public high schools as part of the National Restaurant Association ProStart Program. Before that he spent 20 years  working in the food service industry for restaurants, hotels, and Walt Disney World. He has had the opportunity to learn from and work with some of the best chefs in the World including 4 Master Chefs and now some of the best pit masters in the country that inspire his passion for food and sharing that with his students. He is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, New York and Johnson and Wales University Food Entrepreneurship program in Providence, Rhode Island. He currently teaches High School Culinary Arts at Taylor Independent School District in Taylor, Texas. He is the past founder of High School BBQ when he was a teacher at Burnet High School and  High School BBQ, Inc., (Texas High School BBQ Cookers Association) that he built into a State Wide Championship and now the founder of the National High School BBQ Association. Chef Mike has been the Keynote speaker for many education conferences and done many workshops on a range of topics and about the documentary film TRUE BEEF: From Pasture To Plate he inspired that became a National curriculum for culinary arts and agriculture students across the country. Past speaking engagements have included the National FFA Convention, Arkansas Galaxy Conference,  Texas Restaurant Association Culinary Educators Conference, Retail Meat Managers Conference, National Beef Cattleman's Association Convention, Ohio FCCLA Professional Development Conference, TIVA Conference, FCSTAT, and  the Hospitality Educators Association of Texas of which he is a past Vice President and Board Member. Mike is the only teacher in Texas to ever get two different Culinary Innovation Grants from the Austin Food and Wine Alliance for his educational projects -  Cooking With Connally, True Beef and High School BBQ. He is a seasoned, passionate speaker and educator and would love to come and present at your event.

Chef Mike's teaching career includes two Culinary Innovation Award Grants, being nominated for State Teacher of the Year and winning High School Teacher of the Year, creating a Documentary Film shown across the country and at SXSW EdU Film, National curriculum inspired by his Project Based Learning, Cooking at the the James Beard House with High School students, coaching winning culinary arts teams and students at three different schools, and founding the sport of High School BBQ, and now a National Association to inspire kids.

Let Chef Mike speak to your school, group, or students on a variety of subjects from High School BBQ, Classroom Management, how to create an engaging classroom using High School BBQ and Project Baste Learning, and using High School BBQ to enhance program fundraising. You can also schedule a private call to discuss bringing this program to your school and community. Contact - Principal@HighSchoolBBQLeague.com.