What the KD Hall Foundation learned from GOTR's effort to increase vaccination confidence

SEATTLE – The KD Hall Foundation was recently tasked with a timely challenge by the Washington State Department of Health: Create a way to increase vaccination confidence in Washington state.  

As an organization that prides itself on creating opportunities for women and girls, the KD Hall Foundation decided to build this project into its Girls on the Rise program.  

It was an obvious fit. Combine a younger generation who must live in a future based on decisions adults make right now, with a message that is currently at the forefront of every discussion – from the dinner table to the White House.  

Girls on the Rise, a cohort of 21 girls from across Washington state, worked on a capstone project that featured video content creation that was used to spread vaccination awareness through social media, focusing on communities of color. 

The cohort aimed to create digestible and compelling content designed to clear up misinformation around the COVID-19 vaccine.  

Girls on the Rise, a program created by the KD Hall Foundation, recently completed its capstone project with this year’s cohort of 21 girls from across Washington state.  

“Our organization worked on a creative initiative to educate, inform and inspire people of color to get vaccinated,” said KD Hall, the president and CEO of the KD Hall Foundation. “More than simply getting the vaccine, it’s about building confidence. We created easy-to-digest content that shares information around common fears to answers questions and provide solutions.” 

Created by girls aged 13-17 who live in various parts of the state, the capstone project provided a view into the minds of a younger generation. 

“Showing statistics, because a lot of people don’t believe that it (the vaccine) does anything,” said Olivia, a participant in GOTR in her video interview. “Showing that, ‘Hey, it’s working for a lot of people,’ is a great way (to accomplish that goal).”  

Our students were enthusiastic about being a part of a solution.  

“We were blown away by the passion and energy these students brought to this project,” Hall said. “It is clear they care about doing everything possible to help Washington, and the rest of the world, get beyond the pandemic and back to something resembling normal life.  

As the vaccination rate statewide and nationally has slowed, those working on the project understood the need to bring an authenticity to vaccination awareness, something beyond vaccination lotteries and celebrity endorsements. These are teenagers who want adults to make smart choices and they are not going to stand by and watch as their futures are determined by others.  

This year’s Girls on the Rise program will culminate with a virtual event on July 28 and the video testimonials created through this capstone project will be part of an ongoing social media campaign that launched June 1 and will lead into the virtual event.  

 In order to continue to grow this program and help provide unique opportunities – like this capstone project with the Department of Health – we must continue to spread the word GOTR.  

“It is powerful to see a younger generation come together to help their community, in this case, building vaccine awareness,” Hall said. “It is an honor and a privilege to help these future leaders get a head start as they do their part to make the world a better place.”