#GraduateTogether will honor high school seniors across the country on May 16.
Let's hear it for the class of 2020! The coronavirus pandemic may have derailed the school year, but high school seniors are still getting a proper send-off with the special, Graduate Together: America Honors the High School Class of 2020, airing on Saturday, May 16.
While student all over the country may not get the chance to toss their caps in the air with fellow classmates, they will be honored with a star-studded primetime event that will air across multiple networks and online platforms. The event was put on by the LeBron James Family Foundation in conjunction with the XQ Institute and the Entertainment Industry Foundation Partner.
"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," LeBron James said in a statement about the special. "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."
Read on for more details about the show, including when and how to watch, what celebrities and athletes will take part and more.
When does the special air? Saturday, May 16 at 8 p.m. ET/PT, 7 p.m. CT/MT on broadcast. ET Live will stream the special at 8 p.m. ET/ 5 p.m. PT and 11 p.m. ET/ 8 p.m. ET on Saturday, as well as 9 a.m. ET/ 6 a.m. PT on Sunday morning.
How to watch: The program will air on CBS and stream on Paramount+, which you can sign up for here, as well as right here at ETLive.com. Watch on your Roku, Apple TV or Amazon Fire TV device by downloading the ET Live app.
For more information on where to watch the show on TV or online, visit the #GraduateTogether website.
Which celebrities and athletes are making appearances? In addition to James, former president Barack Obama will take part in the virtual commencements. Additionally, the Jonas Brothers, Bad Bunny, H.E.R, Charli D'Amelio, Megan Rapinoe, Yara Shahidi, Lena Waithe, Pharrell Williams, Malala Yousafzai, Chika, YBN Cordae, and more will take part. Kane Brown, Lana Condor, David Dobrik, Dolan Twins, Karol G, Liza Koshy, Maren Morris, National Teacher of the Year Rodney Robinson, Olivia Wilde and Zendaya were the latest stars to be added to the lineup.
How can students, teachers and families participate? Graduate Together is encouraging students to submit their portaits for a digital yearbook, as well as student speeches, special shout-outs to teachers, memories and more on its website and on social media using the hashtag #GraduateTogether. Teachers and parents are also welcome to submit words of encouragement, show their school spirit and more!
What else to know: In addition to celebrating high school seniors, there is a philanthropic nature to the event, which has partnered with Donors Choose and America's Food Fund in support of supplies for school teachers and hunger relief for those affected by the COVID-19 crisis.
Visit #GraduateTogether to learn more, and see more stories of how students are finishing their school year with virtual events below.
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