Published On: Thu, May 21st, 2020

Palm Beach County Commencement Week to Honor 2020 Graduates

Boca Raton, FL — Achieve Palm Beach County, a collective impact initiative working to improve post-secondary outcomes for local students, is launching Palm Beach County Commencement Week to honor graduating high school seniors. The entire community is invited to participate in the digital campaign, led in partnership with the School District of Palm Beach County, from May 25-29.

As live graduation ceremonies across the county have been replaced with virtual events in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, both the District and Achieve PBC have sought new ways to recognize the Class of 2020. While the Virtual Senior Week campaign by the District is encouraging students to celebrate themselves online from May 18-22, Achieve PBC is hoping Palm Beach County Commencement Week will get families and other community organizations involved in the celebration, as well.

“A big part of traditional ceremonies is the pride and joy families get to express when their students walk across that stage,” said Achieve PBC Executive Director Robin T. Watson. “While there is no stage this year, we hope this campaign will give the community a gratifying and highly visible way to celebrate students in a way that encourages them and honors their collective achievement.”

During PBC Commencement Week, Achieve PBC will release a series of daily videos on its social media pages featuring brief commencement addresses from prominent community leaders. Other organizations and community members are also encouraged to join the online celebration by using the hashtags #PBCgraduates and #AchievePBC when posting on social media that week. Achieve PBC has also created a free toolkit to make it even easier for its partners and other community organizations to join the digital campaign.

The toolkit, available on the Achieve PBC website at AchievePBC.org/PBCgraduates includes graphics, templates for social media captions and email, and a branded frame to add to digital photos. It also includes a list of ideas to help organizations celebrate students while maintaining social distancing protocols.

“We’re proud to be a partner in PBC Commencement Week,” said Deputy Superintendent Keith Oswald, who also serves as a co-chair of the Achieve PBC Operations Team. “Students have had to adapt to many changes and challenges to make it through this year, so we want to do everything we can to make graduation a special time for seniors.”

Information and resources for the District’s Virtual Senior Week and graduation schedule are available on the District’s website at palmbeachschools.org/graduation2020.

Hosted by United Way of Palm Beach County, Achieve PBC is a cross-sector initiative designed to activate and leverage community resources to support local students in getting to and through an education beyond high school. Its vision is that every Palm Beach County student completes a post-secondary credential within six years of high school graduation. For more information about Achieve PBC’s impact, or to learn how to get involved, visit AchievePBC.org or send an email to info@achievepbc.org.  

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