This course is held once a year. The classroom portion is held at the Nittany Lion Inn. Buses take students to the science building for the lab portion and to the dairy barns. This is considered a 'cow to cone' learning experience. The extensive and intensive training is focused toward professionals in the ice cream industry. However, there are many entrepreneurs who take the course. There are extra, optional sessions in the evening that are extremely helpful to those looking to break into the ice cream business. The Ice Cream Short Course is ideal for a very serious and focused attendee who will learn the true SCIENCE of ice cream. Another course called Ice Cream 101 is held separately and that is three days in length. It is geared primarily to the small business owner. It is recommended to stay at the Nittany Lion Inn, where the class is based. The class accommodates about 150 attendees and every year, and there is always a waiting list. The overall experience is excellent. I am still in awe of all the speakers. Most of them have PhD's and spoke of their expertise to an audience with a vast variety of education and background. It is very helpful to have a science or food industry background before you attend this program. The staff did an excellent job of anticipating our needs to make our experience comfortable and as smooth as possible. Make no mistake. This is no cake walk (pun intended). My brain still hurts. It's a lot of information in a short period of time. The statement made several times was that the amount of work we completed in seven days was the equivalent to a 3 or 4 credit hour university class. I went to all the optional sessions, so I will chalk this up to a 4 credit hour class. And I will pat myself on the back for placing 11th academically after the final exam (yes, there's a test!). read more

See all