Health Talk was a collaboration between the Seattle World School, Refugee Women’s Alliance, International Community Health Services, and Jack Straw Cultural Center in 2012. For this project, students wrote, performed, created sound effects, and recorded dialogues about different health issues in the Jack Straw studios with help from Jack Straw writer Laura Gamache and Jack Straw vocal coaches.

Health Talk, just like our 2011 project with students from Seattle World School Food Talk, was produced as part of School’s Out Washington’s Healthy Youth, Healthy Futures Washington program.

Listen to the public service announcements produced at Jack Straw below.

A Silent Place was written by Keristina Farra, read by Keristina Farra and Feben Girmay. Rumors was Written and read by Kumneger Telila and Feben Girmay. Energy was Written by Michael Alcantara, read by Michael Alcantara and Alyssa Keene. Energia was Written by Michael Alcantara, read by Michael Alcantara and Amy Halter. Our project team included Jack Straw writer Laura Gamache, audio engineers Moe Provencher and CJ Lazenby, vocal coaches Christine Marie Brown and Gin Hammond, and Executive Director Joan Rabinowitz; ICHS Health specialists Pia Sampaga and Amy Halter; Refugee Women’s Alliance Youth Program Manager Megan Isakson and language instructor Melaku Lichebo. Special thanks to writer Donna Miscolta, photographer Nancy Peterfreund, principal Martin O’Callaghan, and the Seattle World students who made this project possible.

Health Talk was produced with the generous support of School’s Out Washington’s Healthy Youth, Healthy Futures Washington program, City of Seattle Department of Information Technology, the Harvest Foundation, and the Washington State Arts Commission.

Artists