McLean, VA (PRWEB) June 29, 2016
Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE) today announced that 13 colleges and universities have joined the FARE College Food Allergy Program, broadening the reach of this national initiative to help colleges and universities better prepare to accommodate the rising number of students with food allergies.
The FARE College Food Allergy Program, which originally included a dozen schools, was introduced in 2014 with the goal of providing students with food allergies a safer college experience by helping colleges and universities develop comprehensive, uniform food allergy management policies. FARE is currently accepting applications for the FARE College Food Allergy Program and expects to have a total of 40 schools signed onto the program by the end of the year.
“Our work on campuses across the country is dedicated to ensuring that college students with food allergies are fully supported and attending schools in safer environments,” said James R. Baker, Jr., MD, CEO of FARE. “We are very pleased to expand the program this year to help elevate food allergy protocols at higher education institutions across the country.”
The newly added schools are:
- Brown University (Providence, Rhode Island)
- Colgate University (Hamilton, New York)
- Michigan State University (East Lansing, Michigan)
- Purdue University (West Lafayette, Indiana)
- Skidmore College (Saratoga Springs, New York)
- Stanford University (Stanford, California)
- The University of Iowa (Iowa City, Iowa)
- University of Colorado Colorado Springs (Colorado Springs, Colorado)
- University of Dayton (Dayton, Ohio)
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (Champaign, Illinois)
- University of New Hampshire (Durham, New Hampshire)
- University of St. Thomas (St. Paul, Minnesota)
- Worcester Polytechnic University (Worcester, Massachusetts)
Since the launch of the program, FARE has released the “Pilot Guidelines for Managing Food Allergies in Higher Education,” which were developed by FARE together with volunteer advocates and experts in the areas of health, housing, dining services, disability services, emergency medical services; created additional resources for colleges and students; supported initial training efforts for over 100 colleges and universities; and worked closely with 12 colleges and universities to pilot the program.
The expanded program has already doubled the number of schools providing greater accommodation for students with food allergies and will give 15 additional schools the opportunity to partner with FARE to enhance the college experience for their students managing food allergies. Additionally, FARE has launched a matching funds program to support on-campus efforts to better serve students with food allergies. In 2016, FARE expects to award $100,000 in funds to support projects, programs or events that colleges and universities demonstrate will improve the experiences of students with food allergies on their campus.
FARE’s College Food Allergy Program database will give colleges and universities the opportunity to showcase their efforts in food allergy and celiac management to the public. The database, which is expected to go live in late 2016, will assist parents and students as they make important decisions about where to attend school.
“Participating in FARE’s college pilot program allowed us to train 64 chefs and supervisors, 74 cooks, line staff and student leads and 220 resident advisors on food allergies and celiac disease,” said Christine Carlson, a registered dietitian and assistant director of the Student Union at University of Arizona. “Culinary services has also been able to work on synergistic policies and procedures with university partners, including the Disability Resource Center, Campus Health, Resident Life and the Dean of Students Office. Students and parents have been impressed with our participation in the pilot and we continue to explore opportunities to assist students with food allergies and celiac.”
Colleges and universities that join the program in 2016 will receive free access to dining services and resident advisor training, an in-person dining services assessment from FARE, and ongoing access to FARE staff for questions, review and feedback.
“A benefit of working with FARE is having an outside perspective,” said Rachel Sobelsohn, a junior at Wesleyan University (Middletown, CT) and founder of the student support group Eating Allergy Safe and Yummy (EASY). “It’s great having a generous support system that has committed to making Wesleyan more allergy and celiac-safe. FARE is allowing Wesleyan to dream big.”
FARE invites schools interested in applying for the program or accessing free resources, including the Pilot Guidelines for Managing Food Allergies in Higher Education, to visit http://www.foodallergy.org/collegeprogram or email collegeprogram(at)foodallergy(dot)org.
FARE is proud to be partnering with food allergy experts, college and university representatives, the Association on Higher Education and Disability, MenuTrinfo and foodservice industry representatives from Premier REACH, Sodexo and Compass Group on this program and is grateful for the generous support of our donors and volunteers who make this program possible.
ABOUT FARE
Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE) works on behalf of the 15 million Americans with food allergies, including all those at risk for life-threatening anaphylaxis. This potentially deadly disease affects 1 in every 13 children in the U.S. – or roughly two in every classroom. FARE’s mission is to improve the quality of life and the health of individuals with food allergies, and to provide them hope through the promise of new treatments. Our work is organized around three core tenets: LIFE – support the ability of individuals with food allergies to live safe, productive lives with the respect of others through our education and advocacy initiatives; HEALTH – enhance the healthcare access of individuals with food allergies to state-of-the-art diagnosis and treatment; and HOPE – encourage and fund research in both industry and academia that promises new therapies to improve the allergic condition. For more information, please visit http://www.foodallergy.org.