Lisa Duffy is a program assistant for the PbS Learning Institute. She holds a B.A. in Women’s Studies and a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Creative Writing from the University of Massachusetts Boston. She has extensive experience in writing, editing, and content creation for private, healthcare, and non-profit organizations. A published novelist with three book club favorites from Simon & Schuster, Lisa’s writing can be found in numerous literary journals, print, and online publications.
The Weather Ambassador Takes On Climate Change In Multnomah County
A creative, original song titled, “Weather Ambassador,” from the Donald E. Long Juvenile Detention Center is the focus of this 2022 PbS Kids Got Talent Contest Finalist Spotlight. Opening with a simple and elegant guitar strum, the rhythmic, nearly hypnotizing voice of the artist blends with a background track to deliver a song that one Selection Committee member calls, “A total Vibe!”
“Donald E. Long’s school is the county’s weather ambassador, working with Portland’s NWS, we collect our data to share plus collaborate in the NWS, the heat impacted our homes, with records in temperature, plus barometric low pressure, our communities of color were impacted unprecedentedly so,” sings the artist, using his talent to highlight the effects of climate change, especially for communities already vulnerable due to societal inequities.
Like all good art, the song aims to do more than simply inform—it engages and captivates as well.
“I imagine listening to this while driving down the freeway in the rain!” remarked a Selection Committee member, granting the artist top scores for creativity and talent. “Great story, message and melody,” commented another member.
Congratulations to this impressive artist, and we thank you for sharing your words and talent with us.
Listen to the song here.
The annual PbS Kids Got Talent Contest invites all young people in Performance-based Standards (PbS) facilities and programs across the country to submit their talents for a chance to show off their skills. This year, we received 55 entries from 63 young people in 8 states and 22 different facilities. After careful consideration, 12 finalist performances were selected and shared with the Kids Got Talent Selection Committee.
Each of the 12 performances will be featured in the 2022 PbS Kids Got Talent Contest Finalist Spotlight blog over the coming weeks as our committee determines a solo winner and a group winner. The winners will be selected based on creativity, stage presence and talent. The winning soloist will perform live at the PbS Awards Night in August.
About the author
Lisa Duffy
PbS has been a partner in assisting this facility to become a dynamic work environment that is not satisfied with maintaining the status quo.