AS HUNDREDS OF GUESTS MOVE ABOUT AROUND THEM, a group of Academy of Travel and Tourism students listen intently and take notes as Century Plaza Hotel Concierge Mitchell Armstrong tells them that customer service is his number one priority. Another group of students head down to the kitchen where hotel chefs tell them what to expect during the lunch and dinner hours.

"I want to learn everything I can," said Sammy Chavez, a junior at Fremont High School. "It will give me some good experience if I get a job in a hotel." Chavez along with 44 other students from Fremont and Belmont high schools donned chef's hats, bellperson's caps and coats and ties for two days learning the "ins and outs" of the hotel industry as part of their work at the Los Angeles Educational Partnership's Academy of Travel & Tourism.

In partnership with the Century Plaza and the National Academy Foundation, the Academy's job shadowing program allows students from inner city high schools, who are interested in pursuing careers in the travel and tourism industry, to spend 36 hours at the Westin Century Plaza Hotel in Century City gaining intensive hands-on experience in all facets of a working hotel environment. The concentrated study and internship program helps prepare students for the transition between education and the workplace while giving teachers the means to guide and motivate students to prepare for career success.

Nevada Dove, 16, a Junior at Fremont High School said she is not sure if she would like to pursue a career in the travel and tourism industry, but that her two-day experience at the Century Plaza will help her decide.

"I'm here to learn about hotel management," Nevada said. "I expect to learn what it's really like-including all the problems of being in (hotel) management."

Program activities began Friday morning with a two-hour tour of the hotel and its workings, followed by lunch in the employee cafeteria and a game show style competition designed to test students' knowledge of what they have learned throughout the morning. Later, students donned uniforms and worked in pre-assigned departments with hotel staff.

Students will serve as banquet hosts and hostesses, security guards, concierges, bellpersons, PBX operators, housekeepers, bookkeepers, engineers and room service attendants.

Lorena Moncada, 17, a junior at Belmont High said she finds working at an actual hotel an extremely valuable experience.

"This is a good way to learn about a hotel and what it takes to work here," she said. "I want to make this my career."

Students in the Academy of Travel and Tourism learn the analytical, technical and communication skills they need to succeed in the travel and tourism industry. In addition to the standard high school curriculum, Academy students must meet special requirements in physical and destination geography, economics, and computer systems applications, and learn about dress codes, office etiquette and interviewing techniques. Students also take courses in tour escorting, travel management and operations at West Los Angeles College. Students are offered paid summer internships at travel and tourism companies following their junior year.

The Los Angeles Academy is a joint project of the National Academy Foundation, the Los Angeles Unified School District and LAEP.