Over 200 years ago, French citizens stormed the Bastille, launching a revolution and a turning point in the country's rich history and culture. This year, students and chefs from each of Le Cordon Bleu Schools North America's (LCBNA) thirteen schools will celebrate the French heritage of Bastille Day, Friday, July 14.

A variety of activities are planned that will highlight the important culinary and cultural contributions of the French as well as celebrate Le Cordon Bleu Schools North America's partnership with Le Cordon Bleu International, based in Paris, France. Select schools will host carnivals featuring giant ice sculpture displays and provide steaming cafe au lait and freshly baked croissants to visitors.

Students will prepare a variety of regional French dishes as well as create sumptuous bonbons and miniature chocolate Eifel Towers. Lunch and dinner menus at the schools' public restaurants will pair traditional French cuisine with wine, highlighting the historic and ongoing culinary contributions that France has made to the world.

"Our schools are coming together to celebrate the culinary, historical and cultural elements that are central to the Le Cordon Bleu Program. By offering the Le Cordon Bleu Program in the United States, we are able to combine the best of French tradition and technique with American technology and practical career-focused training," said Kirk Bachmann, Vice President of Education for Le Cordon Bleu Schools North America, "This celebration highlights our cross-cultural connection and the importance of our culinary heritage. Through these events, our students gain a greater appreciation of our French affiliation through an enjoyable celebration."

The French national holiday commemorates the storming of the Bastille on July 14th, 1789, launching the French Revolution, which uprooted the old regime and signaled their transition to a modern nation with democratic principles.

The three ideals of liberty, equality, and fraternity which are represented in the red, white, and blue of the French tri-color flag also serve as the cornerstones for our own democracy in the United States. This holiday serves as a reminder to the students and faculty at LCBNA schools to celebrate the French culinary traditions in which the school is so deeply rooted.

About Le Cordon Bleu Schools North America

Le Cordon Bleu Schools North America is the largest provider of quality culinary arts education. Few institutions possess the distinguished reputation of Le Cordon Bleu, which established its first culinary school in Paris in 1895. Today, Le Cordon Bleu operates schools in London, Tokyo, Ottawa and Sydney in addition to its Paris location, and offers programs in Australia, Mexico and Brazil. There are currently 13 schools in the Le Cordon Bleu Schools North America network, offering programs in Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Arts, Le Cordon Bleu Patisserie & Baking, and Le Cordon Bleu Hospitality & Restaurant Management.

About Career Education Corporation

The colleges, schools and universities that are part of the Career Education Corporation (CEC) family offer high quality education to more than 95,000 students across the world in a variety of career-oriented disciplines. The 80-plus campuses that serve these students are located throughout the U.S., Canada, France, the United Kingdom, and the United Arab Emirates and offer doctoral, master's, bachelor's, and associate degrees and diploma and certificate programs. Approximately one third of students attend the web-based virtual campuses of American InterContinental University Online and Colorado Technical University Online.

Career Education is an industry leader whose gold-standard brands are recognized globally. Those brands include, among others, the Le Cordon Bleu Schools North America; Harrington College of Design; Brooks Institute of Photography; American InterContinental University; Colorado Technical University and Sanford-Brown Colleges and Institutes. The purpose of CEC, through its schools, its educators, and its employees is education -- their primary goal, to enable students to graduate successfully and pursue rewarding careers.

The company's website also has a detailed listing of individual campus locations and web links for its 80-plus colleges, schools and universities.

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill., July 14, 2006 /PRNewswire/ --

Le Cordon Bleu Schools education and inrollment information.