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About ECF

Epicurean Charitable Foundation (ECF) is comprised of more than 20 top food and beverage and hospitality executives who are dedicated to enriching the lives of deserving local students passionate about a career in hospitality or culinary arts. Through scholarships and mentorship opportunities, these gifted, but often financially underprivileged, students are provided with the means to pursue their dreams and become future leaders of the Las Vegas hospitality industry.

The Foundation’s primary charitable endeavor is the establishment of annual scholarship awards for Clark County high school students seeking careers in the culinary and hospitality industries. ECF selects its scholarship recipients based on academic ability, extracurricular achievements, personal background and financial need.

ECF awards numerous academic scholarships annually to Clark County high school graduates. Scholarship recipients receive financial support of up to $48,000 that goes toward tuition, books and other fees. Students also benefit from the guidance and support of the Future Leaders of Hospitality Program, which pairs a student and board member together for the duration of the student’s education. The mentor provides guidance, support and assistance with job and internship placement upon graduation.

To support the scholarship program, ECF holds an annual gala that has quickly become one of the most popular events on the Las Vegas social calendar. M.E.N.U.S. (Mentoring and Educating Nevada’s Upcoming Students) is hosted by one of the city’s world-class resorts and features dining stations offering samples from some of the finest restaurants in town and live entertainment. Previous performers at M.E.N.U.S. include Train, Counting Crows, Lifehouse, Al Green, Sarah Bareilles, Stevie Nicks, the Jabbawockeez and Chicago.


Program Participants

Current Students

Extra-Curricular Activities and Clubs

  • Alpha Delta Pi Sorority
  • Alpha Gamma Delta Sorority
  • Casino Management Club
  • Culinary Teaching Assistant
  • DECA
  • Eta Sigma Deltas Honor’s Society
  • Eta Sigma Delta Honor’s Society
  • Gourmet Society
  • International Food Service Exec. Association
  • National Society of Minorities in Hospitality (NSMH)
  • National Youth Sports of Nevada
  • Phi Sigma Pi Sorority
  • School of Hospitality
  • Slow Food Movement
  • The Epicurean Society Club
  • The Shine City Project
  • UNLV Honors College

Nationalities & Ethnic Groups

  • African-American
  • American
  • Argentinea
  • Bosnian
  • Chinese
  • Cuban
  • Cuban-American
  • Filipino-American
  • Italian-American
  • Mexican-American
  • Multiracial American
  • Persian-American
  • Puerto Rican-American
  • Puerto Rican-American
  • Salvadorian-American
  • Serbian
  • Taiwanese-American

Average Family Income

  • $27,000

Graduating High Schools

  • Advance Technologies Academy
  • Area Technical Trade Center
  • Boulder City High School
  • Cheyenne High School
  • Coronado High School
  • Durango High School
  • Eldorado High School
  • Foothill High School
  • Las Vegas High School
  • Northwest Career & Technical Academy
  • Southeast Career & Technical Academy
  • Southwest Career & Technical Academy
  • Spring Valley High School
  • Valley High School

Where Are They Now?

ECF Graduates are currently employed at …

  • ARIA Resort & Casino
  • Caesars Entertainment
  • Caesars Palace
  • Courtyard by Marriott Las Vegas
  • Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort and Spa
  • Luxor Hotel and Casino
  • Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino
  • MGM Grand
  • The Mirage Hotel & Casino
  • The Venetian Resort-Hotel-Casino
  • Wynn Las Vegas
More than half of ECF students are bilingual in languages including English, Spanish, Bosnian, French, Italian and Mandarin Chinese.
Since its inception, 100 percent of ECF scholarship recipients have earned positions in the hospitality industry after college.
The average GPA of our 2017 scholarship recipients was an outstanding 4.55.
  • The average cost of college textbooks is nearly $1,200 annually
  • The U.S., once first in the world, now ranks 11th in citizens pursuing bachelor’s degrees
  • Nevada ranks 45th in percentage of residents who hold a bachelor’s degree
  • Tuition rates increase at about twice the general inflation rate
© 2024 Epicurean Charitable Foundation. All Rights Reserved.
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