Graduation Ideas

Dress Up and Drop In!
Have students wear graduation regalia and join a virtual meeting (Google Meet, Zoom) where they can be recognized by school leaders and have their graduation conferred virtually. Honor Society and student council leaders can purchase recognition items from the NHS and NatStuCo online stores, and families can save 15 percent with the promo code IND20 through June 30.

  • Student Leader Focus: Enlist student leaders to help with outreach and come up with solutions to make sure every student and family is included in the celebration and has access to a video or computer to participate.

Drive-Through Graduation/Parade
Have each graduate and their family participate in a graduation caravan from their home neighborhood to the school and back. Graduates can pick up their diploma and be greeted by school leaders at the school’s campus before returning home. Provide guidance for signs and decorations that can be used to celebrate the class of 2020.

  • Student Leader Focus: Work with activity advisers and student leaders—particularly underclassmen who want to celebrate their class of 2020 peers—to help plan for solutions to make the day go seamlessly.

Prom Solutions

Virtual Prom Live
Students are invited to participate in Virtual Prom Live—a series of nationwide virtual proms based on time zones. Students can dress up and listen to top regional DJs play the best school-appropriate music. Encourage your students to register today. You can also coordinate with your school or district to create your own virtual prom event.

  • Student Leader Focus: Student councils and other student leader groups are crucial for in-person as well as virtual event planning. Prom is about the students—make sure to put them front and center in planning and promoting the celebration.

College Signing Day

College Signing Day Celebrations
Help celebrate the class of 2020 by joining schools across the country on June 1 with a virtual College Signing Day party! Check out the College Signing Day toolkit for more information about the celebration and ideas on how you can participate. You and your students can purchase an official College Signing Day T-shirt from the NASSP pop-up shop.

  • Student Leader Focus: Encourage student leaders to find out check in on their peers and get everyone in on the celebration. Doesn’t matter what school, pathway, job, or major students will choose. College Signing Day is about the commitment to ongoing education and success!

And tune in to our upcoming webchat on May 20 at 07:00 p.m. (ET):
Student Voices: #CollegeSigningDay and What It Means for Class of 2020
Join us for a live online discussion featuring Honor Society and student council leaders who are graduating this year and making the commitment to pursue college in the fall. Students will share what it’s like to graduate with school ending abruptly, how their decision making on college has changed in light of the coronavirus, and what college means to them.

Graduation and other end-of-year celebrations are rites of passage for any senior high school class. These experiences build community and school spirit—though we recognize that this year it is more difficult to host such events.

The components of school spirit—built and sustained by shared experiences, stories, and hope—can happen outside of a school building, though approaches may vary depending on the school or community. Be sure to involve your Honor Society and student council student leaders as much as possible in your planning and deciding of important celebrations.

Here are some ideas to get started: