Our Role in the BBQ Ecosystem

Education First. Students Always. Learning Before Entertainment.

The National High School BBQ Association® (NHSBBQA®) exists solely to serve education.

We support students, teachers, schools, and communities through Career & Technical Education (CTE), project-based learning, and workforce development—using live-fire cooking, barbecue, and food systems as powerful instructional tools.

What We Do

NHSBBQA® helps schools build real-world skills through:

• CTE-aligned learning experiences that connect classroom instruction to hands-on application

• Teacher-led competitions designed as assessment opportunities—not entertainment products

• Workforce readiness skills in culinary, hospitality, food science, entrepreneurship, and leadership

• Character and leadership development through team structure, goal setting, and responsibility

• Safe, supervised live-fire learning under school and district oversight

Our Role in the BBQ Ecosystem

Barbecue is bigger than one lane. The broader ecosystem includes professional competition, entertainment, media, products, restaurants, and cultural heritage.

NHSBBQA® operates exclusively within the education vertical.
We are not a professional league, media company, or fan platform.

Our focus is building a trusted, standards-aligned pipeline where students can grow from curiosity to competence—supported by teachers, schools, and community partners.

Education-Only by Design

NHSBBQA® is intentionally structured to meet school expectations for:

• Safety and compliance

• Instructional purpose

• Accountability

• Student protection

• District governance and oversight

Because schools operate under different rules than entertainment and commercial platforms, NHSBBQA® stays firmly in the lane that districts can trust.

What NHSBBQA® Is—and Is Not

NHSBBQA® IS:

• Education-first

• Teacher-led and school-governed

• Curriculum-aligned

• Assessment-based

• Safety-driven

• Built for long-term workforce pathways

NHSBBQA® IS NOT:

• A professional or commercial sports league

• A media or streaming platform

• A fan engagement or fantasy competition app

• A sponsorship or influencer marketplace

• A gambling, sweepstakes, or prize-based system

• A platform for student monetization or commercial exploitation

Technology That Supports Learning

Our digital tools exist to support education and program success through:

• Scoring and assessment

• Rubrics and standards-based evaluation

• Credentialing and documentation

• Program and event management

• Teacher-controlled workflows

Our App is an educational utility—not an entertainment product.
It is intentionally designed without fan mechanics, public broadcasting, advertising to students, or speculative digital assets.

Fundraising and Program Sustainability

Like many school-based programs (band, athletics, CTSOs), NHSBBQA® supports school-approved fundraising to help teams sustain:

• Equipment and safety gear

• Ingredients and supplies

• Travel and event participation

• Instructional experiences

Fundraising remains locally controlled by schools or booster organizations and follows applicable district and state guidelines.

Relationship to Professional & Media BBQ Organizations

We respect and support the broader barbecue community—including professional competitions, culinary organizations, and media platforms.

However, our role is distinct and separate:

Professional and media organizations serve fans and audiences.
NHSBBQA® serves students and schools.

Any future collaboration must preserve this boundary and uphold the educational mission first.

Our Commitment

NHSBBQA® is committed to:

• Protecting students

• Respecting educators

• Maintaining institutional trust

• Building durable, education-centered pathways

As interest in barbecue and live-fire cooking grows, NHSBBQA® remains focused on what schools need most:

Education first.
Students always.
Learning before entertainment.

Ready to Bring NHSBBQA® to Your School?

Whether you’re a district leader, CTE director, principal, teacher, parent, or community partner, we’ll help you understand how to implement a safe, standards-aligned program.

Start here:

• Explore Live Fire Learning Lab program options

• Review our Safety & Compliance expectations

• Learn how our platform supports assessment and credentialing

• See the pathway from local events to THE S.L.A.B. national experiences

• Talk to Our Team

• Request a District Packet

• Explore School Onboarding

• View Safety & Compliance

NHSBBQA® is an education-only association. We do not operate as a fan, entertainment, or commercial media platform.