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5 Colleges Complete GREAT Training Program

August 5, 2009

5 Colleges Complete GREAT Training Program


serving safe gluten-free options to students

NFCA’s Gluten-Free Resource Education Awareness Training (GREAT) program is helping to provide college and university students with celiac disease with safe gluten-free dining options.

This month 5 Pennsylvania schools received GREAT training through the leadership of Michelle Apple RD LD of AVI Food Systems.

  • Slippery Rock University
  • Kutztown University
  • California University of Pennsylvania
  • Tiffin University
  • Hiram College

have all completed the program in an effort to improve the quality of life for those students who require a gluten-free diet.

Michelle Apple’s thoughts on the GREAT Program and new gluten-free menus available to students:


“The GREAT program was an extremely educational and resourceful program. The materials for the program made my job easy as a trainer to implement at our Universities. With the increase of students with celiac disease we saw a need for a food intolerance station. At this station we will now serve gluten free selections for students.


As everyone with celiac disease knows, sticking to a gluten-free diet is hard enough when you have your own kitchen in a house or apartment. For a gluten-free college student in a dormitory, the challenges can be overwhelming. This is particularly true for freshmen, who are not accustomed to living away from home or providing food for themselves, may not have access to stores that sell gluten-free food, and usually live in freshmen dormitories with few if any cooking facilities.


AVI has seen a need for specialty selections such as gluten free pizza and breads to be available to college students. We have partnered with the GREAT program and have implemented the GREAT training. I cannot say enough good things about all resources available for the staff and management from the GREAT program. The resources helped to educate staff and provide tools to use for students with celiac disease. I did not have to recreate a program. As a corporate dietitian I do have not the time to create programs. Therefore, GREAT made my job easy to implement and train the staff. “

For more information about GREAT Foodservice or to sign up or sponsor your college, university, or PK-12 school, visit the GREAT Foodservice program page on NFCA’s website.

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