With 2020 High School graduation ceremonies cancelled due to the coronavirus, XQ Institute, The LeBron James Family Foundation and The Entertainment Industry Foundation are joining together to give students a televised celebration. Graduate Together: America Honors the High School Class of 2020 will be broadcast May 16 across major television networks.
What’s happening:
- XQ Institute, The LeBron James Family Foundation and The Entertainment Industry Foundation have announced they are joining together to pay tribute to the Class of 2020 in a one-hour multimedia special event, Graduate Together: America Honors the High School Class of 2020.
- The special will air commercial-free on Saturday, May 16 (8 pm EDT/PDT) across ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC.
- Curated by high school students and educators throughout the country, with the support of the American Federation of Teachers, this national commercial-free broadcast will include a collection of commencement addresses, celebrity performances and inspirational vignettes.
- #GraduateTogether is inviting students, educators and families to submit their own videos and photos online for consideration to be included in the telecast.
- In addition, renowned artist JR and his global participatory art project, Inside Out, will invite high school students everywhere to share their portraits in celebration of being part of the graduating Class of 2020. And because high school graduations are local, local television stations will also feature custom breakaways to celebrate the achievements of high school students in their own communities.
- Additionally, leading entertainment, social media and streaming platforms will all create dynamic experiences for each of their unique audiences. These include:
- Complex Networks
- Facebook App
- PeopleTV
- Snapchat
- TikTok
- YouTube
- Graduate Together: America Honors the High School Class of 2020 will feature appearances/participation from celebrities and influencers including:
- LeBron James
- Bad Bunny
- Charli D’Amelio
- Dixie D’Amelio
- Chika
- YBN Cordae
- Loren Gray
- H.E.R.
- The Jonas Brothers
- Brandan Bmike Odums
- Ben Platt
- Henry Platt
- Jonah Platt
- Megan Rapinoe
- Yara Shahidi
- Lena Waithe
- Pharrell Williams
- Malala Yousafzai
- And many more
What they’re saying:
- LeBron James: “We learned early on in our work with students and families in Akron that education is so much more than academics. It’s about a shared experience, a journey we’re all on together-students, parents, educators, community members and everyone around them. With that not being possible right now, we’ve been working to find ways to help families get through this really difficult time. These students have worked incredibly hard for this and there’s no way we can let that go unrecognized. While this won’t be the graduation experience they were supposed to get, we hope we can still give them something special because they deserve it.”
- Russlynn Ali, co-founder and CEO of XQ Institute: “At XQ, we work to reimagine the American high school experience-but no one could have imagined the profound changes that have upended the Class of 2020’s final days of the school year. It has been remarkable to watch these young people, in the face of an unprecedented challenge, demonstrate courage and resilience beyond their years. In doing so, they have given every American reason to feel hopeful about our future. #GraduateTogether is an opportunity for us all to pay tribute to what these incredible students have accomplished.”
- Entertainment Industry Foundation: “EIF’s long-standing role in the entertainment industry has been to harness the resources of Hollywood to help lift up the voices of important social efforts. XQ has, from day one, been a critical partner to this community on the education front, and we are proud to support their tireless work focused on students and educators across America.”
- Randi Weingarten, President of the American Federation of Teachers: “‘We miss you’-that’s what I hear America’s educators telling their students over and over again. Our country’s teachers and support personnel have been on the front lines keeping students engaged, comforted and supported during this time of incredible upheaval. Educators want their kids to be okay. And even if we are physically apart, we are eager to celebrate our students’ accomplishments alongside parents, family members and caregivers as we try to bring this school year to a meaningful close. We are grateful to all our teachers and school staff and proud to join in this effort to bring together education professionals from across the country and honor graduates as they embark on their next journey.”
Graduate Together: America Honors the High School Class of 2020 is being produced by Done + Dusted and SpringHill Entertainment.