SERVING CLIENTS NATIONWIDE!
Due to the international COVID-19 pandemic, many schools and districts are moving completely
to online education and navigating all the challenges that come with that shift. Appropriately
recognizing students’ academic milestones is just one of these difficult situations, but with a
little creativity, it can be a great opportunity to have fun and build school community. In lieu of
canceling graduation ceremonies altogether due to public health concerns, it’s time to think
about another possibility—one that many online schools and universities have already been doing
for years. Offer a virtual graduation!
Explore our Virtual Commencement options & provide a meaningful experience for students & their families.
Once you select the proper format, we will begin procuring the necessary virtual tech solution to make
it a reality.
Our team will organize a live, real-time webinar event in which individuals are recognized while students, faculty, and friends join on their computers using audio and webcams to be part of the ceremony. In this format, all
participants join virtually—speakers included. Commencement speeches
are delivered live or via prerecorded videos as needed. These events can also feature prerecorded elements, allowing students to thank their families for their support.
For a 100-percent flexible commencement option, we can upload prerecorded videos that allows graduates to view the celebration at their convenience. This format still features administrators
announcing all graduates by name. Because this option is completely editable, it allows educators the opportunity to collect student information, such as a quote, that we take and display on a slide when a student’s name is called.
Livestream a physical campus commencement ceremony with key leaders on-site, but have all graduates and families remain at home. If it’s possible for school leaders to be on-site and still practice safe social distancing, they can still take the stage or position themselves in front of important school landmarks for a friendly backdrop. This option helps add the appropriate level of pomp and circumstance expected of a commencement ceremony.
The format of the graduation is up to you, but here are some of our most utilized ideas when producing the event:
Taking It to the Next Level: Audience Engagement
Virtual audience engagement starts with making sure that your attendees feel connected to the
message you’re sharing. We utilize the following three channels to elevate your graduates’ stories to
lend your event a friendly, heartwarming tone.
Social media is an incredible tool to drive engagement and conversation during a virtual commencement ceremony. We leverage your existing school channel, but encourage graduates and families to post using a special graduation hashtag to share excitement, encouragement, and celebration via written posts, pictures, and videos.
Our team can create a commencement webpage that can stand alone, in lieu of a live ceremony and we will update the page with messages, pictures, and important announcements. We’ll also use this page in combination with any of our virtual graduation options (webinars, pre-recorded videos, and livestreams). This page will serve as a central hub and access point for all commencement-related materials.
Nothing evokes the feelings of graduation like the Elgar’s Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1 in D, but likely there are other songs that fit the occasion as well. Luckily, music can be enjoyed almost anywhere. We include music in the actual event, but we can also create a shareable playlist for all of the graduates to enjoy throughout the day or even leading up to the occasion.
Caps and Gowns
Just because the ceremony is happening virtually doesn’t mean that students shouldn’t feel the right of passage associated with moving their tassel from right to left upon receiving their diploma. We’ll serve as consultants so you can continue to offer opportunities for students to order their caps and gowns and other accoutrements so that they can wear them via webcam, take pictures with family, and generally celebrate their success in a very real, physical way.
Inspiring Décor
With limited ability to adorn a venue with tasteful yet spirited décor, we offer both physical backdrops (pipe & drape) and virtual backdrops if desired. These options can really set the tone of your event, therefore we offer customized colorful banners and even balloons as scenic decor. Keep in mind, that even if it’s just in your home office, our decor options help to honor and commemorate the affair.
Diplomas
Because students don’t actually get to walk
across a stage and receive their diploma, it’s
critical to virtually recreate that pivotal moment. Following the ceremony, getting diplomas promptly delivered to students will help. Encourage students to post pictures with their diplomas on social media channels to show off their hard-earned accomplishment.
Ceremony Programs
A printed program is a quintessential keepsake from traditional graduation ceremonies, and is a great way to provide extra information, further elevate your students’ stories, and still ensure that families have a souvenir. We’ll create a digital (and print-at-home-friendly!) version to share with your virtual event attendees. Consider reaching out to families or your staff while you’re creating the program to collect
pictures from the school year or quotes about individual students to include for extra personalization.
Admission
While selling tickets and arranging parking permits are no longer necessary in a virtual world, access is still important. Specifically, how students, teachers, and families will access the event. We’ll set up a student registration for the virtual event, as well as a request for guest admin spots. Our registration process gives you an idea regarding attendance, and we will ensure that your virtual environment can accommodate viewers.
New Traditions
Will this be your first virtual commencement? Then, there’s no better time to throw out the playbook and let us help coordinate something new. Include a special song, dance, or activity that brings levity to the situation. For smaller graduations, new traditions could also include adding a personal element, such as a handwritten note or recorded video from a teacher delivered preceding or directly following the event to help fill the void of physical congratulations that would usually be offered.
