Local youth are taking the lead on debunking rumors and myths that often keep people from considering the Covid-19 vaccination. The “Facts Not Cap” initiative is committed to “stopping the spread of Covid with facts and not cap.” 

The efforts, led by youth ages 13-20, will be made public at a launch event scheduled for Nov. 13, from 1-3 p.m., at the Fairmount Park Community Building at 1647 N. Yale Blvd. Mayor Brandon Whipple, Vice Mayor Brandon Johnson and USD 259’s Director of Safety Services Terri Moses are confirmed guests for the event.

Student leaders will engage in a Q&A session with special guests before challenging their peers in a trivia challenge. Participants will have to decipher between a fact and a cap relating to Covid. They hope it will be informative for all attendees.

This project is supported by Sunflower Foundation’s Healthy Living & Active Communities Grant. The Facts Not Cap team has youth members from various organizations including Destination Innovation, NAACP Youth, Real Men Real Heroes and student leaders from area high schools.

When the project formed in September, many of the FNC members felt that misinformation shared on social media and peer-to-peer were not helpful in encouraging proper safety precautions and preventive measures in the wake of Covid-19. 

In the coming weeks, the Facts Not Cap team will also release a series of commercials and social media content sharing important information about Covid and vaccinations, as reported by the CDC. They will also have a panel discussion with area health professionals to give young people an opportunity to ask questions.

The group has already collected nearly 100 surveys from people aged 13-26. The survey explores where this age group gets their information, their thoughts on mask-wearing, Covid vaccination and Covid testing. They’ll share their findings at the launch event. 

With the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now recommending pediatric doses of the vaccine to children ages 5-11 years old—and the need for increased vaccination among teens and young adults—it’s crucial that young people have the facts they need to make a decision.