2026 High 5 eBook

To gather these ideas, CHART launched a recognition program called the “Training High Five.” The CHART Board members review all of the ideas submitted each year and then rate them based on such criteria as originality, impact, and relevance to other businesses. A representative from each of the companies whose ideas are selected as the “Training High Five” will be invited to submit a brief video or give a short presentation to be recognized for their idea and share how it changed their workplaces for the better.

So if you have a training solution that has really worked for you, demonstrate our guiding principles of Learning, Sharing, Growing, and Caring and send it in to CHART for the betterment of everyone in the organization. It doesn’t matter if it’s a simple training game or a complex rollout strategy, as long as it moved the needle in some way back at your company and isn’t proprietary, then we would love to hear about it.

You can submit ideas to tara@chart.org. Ideas can be submitted by simply sending in an email, including attachments if it will help better illustrate your idea and its impact, or you can Fill in the online High Five Submission Form if that helps you format your submission. All of the ideas submitted will ultimately become part of our collection of strategies for CHART members. The Training High Five is part of CHART’s semiannual conferences.

Pizza Topping Practice Activity: Turning Recipes into Interactive Learning
Submitted by: Alyssa Bunkley, Training Specialist, Dewey’s Pizza

Using Games to Enhance Knowledge, Retention, and Engagement
Submitted by: Sylvia Cruz, Franchise Training Manager, Whataburger

All About Me Forms: Building Belonging from Day One
Submitted by: Anna Mason, Director of Learning and Development, Edley’s Bar-B-Que

Play Your Way to Better Learning: DiSC Playland
Submitted by: Carlye Henderson, Learning and Development Manager, Eat’n Park Hospitality Group

ASCENT: A 6-month Leadership Development Experience
Submitted by: Travis Smith | Senior Training Manager, People Development & Culture | Pyramid Global Hospitality

Monthly Mash-up: Keeping Learning Live, Relevant, and Connected
Submitted by: Angelina Sabatini | Manager of Training | Live Nation Entertainment – Venue Nation

Ask “The Delicious One” (TDO): AI-Powered Operations Support
Submitted by: Matthew Steele, CHT, Manager of Training & Development, Galardi Group, Wienerschnitzel

AI Doppelganger: Bringing Training to Life
Submitted by: Jack Woznick, Director of Training & Development, Toro Toro Toro, BelAir Cantina

From Strategy to Reality: The Scope of Work Method
Submitted by: Angelina Sabatini, Manager of Training, Venue Nation- Live Nation Entertainment

What’s in a Whataburger? The Secret Ingredient is YOU
Submitted by: Nicole Jackson, Regional Training Manager, Whataburger

Blowing Their Minds: Making Training Fun (and Funny) Again
Submitted by: Dylan Bitticks, Director of Training, Dave’s Hot Chicken

 

Aligning Ethos: It’s as Simple as the ABCs
Submitted by: Myisha Smith, Corporate Director of Training, and Megan Gibbs, Training Manager, Pacifica Hotels

Digital Orientation: Live Scavenger Hunt
Submitted by: Audrey Benet, Director of Training, Cuba Libre Restaurant & Rum Bar

DiceBreaker and Dice Debrief
Submitted by: Nadine Willems-Antersijn, Owner/Facilitator, Momax Trainings and More

Overcoming L&D’s Awareness Issue
Submitted by: Christina Heilig, Learning and Development Manager, Dewey’s Pizza

Graduation Certificates for Training Completion
Submitted by: Gretchen Bartkus, Chief Operating Officer, Haven Hot Chicken

Thinking Outside the Box to Drive Results
Submitted by: Corban Nichols, Piada Italian Street Food

NRO Trainer Casting Call
Submitted by: Shannon Ciccotelli, Nando’s PERi PERi

Making Updates Easy Through Master Word Documents
Submitted by: Crystina Bukrinski

Making Your Training Memorable with Music
Submitted by: Jack Woznick, Toro, Toro, Toro, Inc.

Game On: Boosting Training Retention with Gamification
Submitted by: Alex Govea, Del Taco

Happiness Officers Walk In My Shoes
Submitted by: Nadine Willems-Antersijn, Giannis Group

Three Dots Icebreaker
Submitted by: Winona Bullis, Focus Brands

New Restaurant Openings 2.0
Submitted by: Jason Lechner, Pizza Ranch

Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down
Submitted by: Nancy Manning, Dunkin’

Tango Google Chrome Extension
Submitted by: Monica Sandoval, Arby’s

An Unexpected Tool for Producing High-quality Training Materials

Submitted by: Lisa Schweickert, US Foods

Mentimeter for Interactive Presentations

Submitted by: Stacy Whitmore, Inspire Brands

Transitioning Manager Training from In-person to Virtual Hybrid

Submitted by: Travis Smith, Best Western Hotels & Resorts

Quick-Service Customerville League

Submitted by: Patrick Yearout, Ivar’s and Kidd Valley Restaurants

Click! Kits

Submitted by: Brandi Williams & Joy Dyer, Oklahoma City Thunder

Work from Home Webinar Series

Submitted by: Braxton Luzier, Live Nation Entertainment

Menu Launch Gamification

Submitted by: Laura Lidyard, Cracker Barrel Old Country Store

Hospitality for Everyone

Submitted by: Patrick Yearout, Ivar’s and Kidd Valley Restaurants

Rapid Prototyping from Live, Instructor-led to Virtual

Submitted by: Travis Smith & Colby Hutchinson, Best Western Hotels & Resorts

Crew Trainer Virtual Certification Program

Submitted by: John Aiken, Golden Corral

More than Just a Trainer

Submitted by: Stephanie Ketron and Alex Motes, Westgate Resorts

Suggestive Selling Service Video Contest

Submitted by: Jamie Pearson, Ruby Tuesday

Reimagining Paper-based Prep Cards

Submitted by: Indrani Sen, 99 Restaurants

The Simplicity of a Simpleshow

Submitted by: Felicia White, Church’s Chicken

ZOOM Your Way to Learning and Relationships  

Submitted by: Jody Huls, Inspire Brands/Arby’s Restaurant Group

Who Lost the Guest

Submitted by: Felicia White, Church’s Chicken

Hospitality Storybook: “How do we train hospitality?”

Submitted by: Jason Lechner, Granite City Food & Brewery

The Four Cornerstones of Hospitality

Submitted by: Stewart Wolfe, Chipotle

So You’re Sending a Team Member to Training…

Submitted by: Jim Quinlan, Westgate Resorts

This Week in Stand-Up

Submitted by: Calvin Banks, Benchmark Hospitality

Kahoot!

Submitted by: Danielle Dally, The Broadmoor

Create the Feeling

Submitted by: Lisa Schweickert, Golden Corral

Connect, Listen, Applaud, Motivate

Submitted by: Patrick Yearout, Ivar’s Restaurants

Build Your Own Jeopardy

Submitted by: Colleen Spahr, Tin Lizzy’s

Put the Training Pieces Together

Submitted by Dan Walker, Little Caesars 

Incorporating Piktochart into Your Training Materials

Submitted by Michele Lange, The Habit Burger Grill

Stand Up Quizzing

Submitted by Patrick Yearout, Ivar’s Restaurants

Friendly Service Game

Submitted by David Myers, Fazoli’s 

Digital Recipes

Submitted by Konnie Sadler, Culver’s

FitBit Fitness: Less Talk … More Do!

Submitted by Mark Boccia, Marriott 

Ensuring Success with Full Cycle Limited Time Only Rollouts

Submitted by Craig Story, Perkins

Create Budget-Friendly Training Videos Using Simple PowerPoint Trick

Submitted by Crystina Bukrinsky, Mexican Restaurants

Coaches Corner: Bite Sized Webinars Build Behaviors

Submitted by Joetta Barnes, Perkins 

Training Scorecard: Deeper Dive into Operation Statistics

Submitted by Terri Karolevitz, Caribou Coffee

Advertising to your Team Members

Submitted by Gabe Hosler, Rubio’s

Friendliness Games

Submitted by John Kelley, White Castle

Suggestive Selling Bingo Card

Submitted by Jason Lyon, Common Man

Employee Assessment App

Submitted by Danielle West, The Broadmoor

Line Simulation: Cooking with Foam Blocks

Submitted by Steve Hawter, Dickey’s Barbecue Pit

PollEverywhere

Submitted by Monique Donahue, AHLEI

WOW Deck

Submitted by Chris Patterson, CiCi’s Pizza

Module Trainings for Openings

Submitted by Michael Kacmar, Clyde’s

Just In Time Videos

Submitted by Konnie Sadler, Culver’s

Clock-In Movies

Submitted by Christina Jones, Ignite Restaurant Group and
Steve Baker, Romano’s Macaroni Grill

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