Bowling Green, Ky. - Nearly 40 first-year female students at Western Kentucky University are participating in a new health services living-learning community.

The College of Health and Human Services has partnered with WKU Housing and Residence Life and Greenview Regional Hospital for the CHHS Living Learning Community.

"The program is a great way for students to connect not only with each other, but with faculty and the health care community," said Bethany Smith, coordinator of the CHHS Academic Center for Excellence.

The 39 students in the program live together on the ninth floor of Minton Hall and take three courses together - Human Nutrition, English and CHHS University Experience. (To help kickoff the program, the College of Health and Human Services and Greenview Regional Hospital are hosting a cookout for the students at 4:30 p.m. today (Sept. 1) in the lobby of the Academic Complex.)

"Greenview's support in our efforts to engage students is invaluable," Smith said. "Not only are they giving financial resources but most importantly they are giving time to help us engage our students in community services activities."

The living-learning community emphasizes various aspects of health services in fields such as dental hygiene, nursing, communication disorders, physical education, recreation, public health and administration, social work, family and child studies, and dietetics, while creating activities and opportunities that support academic success.

As part of the partnership, professionals from Greenview will visit the residence hall and the classrooms to talk about opportunities in the health and human services sectors. Greenview also will provide professional networking opportunities.

"This program will give students the opportunity to learn more about careers and give them the chance to make some great connections," Smith said. "Our goal is to help these students make wise decisions now so when they leave Western they leave as productive citizens ready to serve in the health and human services area."

More information about the CHHS Living Learning Community is available online at http://www.wku.edu/housing/LLC/chhs.htm. For more on the other living-learning communities at WKU, visit http://www.wku.edu/housing/LLC/.

For more about the College of Health and Human Services, visit http://www.wku.edu/chhs; for more about the Academic Center for Excellence, visit http://www.wku.edu/chhs/ace.

More WKU news is available at www.wku.edu. If you'd like to receive WKU news via e-mail, send a message to WKUNews@wku.edu.

For information, contact Bethany Smith at (270) 745-5027.