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Lineup Expands for Primetime Graduation Special GRADUATE TOGETHER: AMERICA HONORS THE HIGH SCHOOL CLASS OF 2020

ZENDAYA, OLIVIA WILDE, LIZA KOSHY, NATIONAL TEACHER OF THE YEAR RODNEY ROBINSON, LANA CONDOR, MAREN MORRIS, KAROL G, KANE BROWN, DAVID DOBRIK, DOLAN TWINS, AND MORE JOIN PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED LINEUP

One-Hour Tribute Airing on Saturday, May 16, to be Carried by More Than 20 U.S. Broadcast and Cable Networks and Streaming ChannelsAdding BET, CNN, The CW, FOX News Channel, Freeform, The Roku Channel, Univision, The Washington Post, and Others

 GraduateTogether2020.com

 Instagram: @graduatetogether | Snapchat: @gradtogether | TikTok: @graduatetogether

Twitter: @gradtogether | #GraduateTogether

LOS ANGELES (May 8, 2020) – The lineup of talent as well as television and streaming partners participating in Graduate Together: America Honors the High School Class of 2020 airing on Saturday, May 16 (8 PM ET/PT, 7 PM CT) is growing.

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 join an impressive list of prominent leaders, educators, and entertainers previously announced, including President Barack Obama, LeBron James, Bad Bunny, Chika, YBN Cordae, Charli D’Amelio, Dixie D’Amelio, 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, and Malala Yousafzai.

The one-hour, commercial-free show will be carried by more than 20 broadcast and cable networks and streaming channels throughout the U.S. ABC News Live, Bleacher Report, California Music Channel, CNN, The CW, FOX Business Network, FOX News Channel, FOX Now, Freeform, The Roku Channel, The Washington Post, and Univision—which will air a Spanish-language simulcast of the show—join ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC as well as entertainment and streaming platforms Complex Networks, Facebook App, PEOPLE, SiriusXM, TikTok, Twitter, and YouTube. All streaming partners will share the simulcast at 8 PM PT/11 PM ET.

As coronavirus has prompted the cancellation of high school graduation ceremonies, Graduate Together: America Honors the High School Class of 2020 will honor the more than 3 million high school seniors across the country with a joyful tribute to the Class of 2020. Curated by high school students and educators throughout the country, with the support of the American Federation of Teachers, this special event will include a collection of commencement messages, musical performances, and inspirational vignettes.

“I was inspired to teach by my mother’s transformation as she pursued her GED later in life after being denied an education as a child due to segregation. And I have continued teaching for nearly 20 years because I am inspired every day by my students and their commitment to learning,” said 2019 National Teacher of the Year Rodney Robinson, who teaches social studies and history at Virgie Binford Education Center in Richmond, Virginia, and is participating in the show. “Education is the most important foundation for progress, providing each child with the academic and emotional tools for success and a path to achieve their goals. I’m honored to be part of such an incredible event that recognizes the accomplishments of our nation’s high school seniors as well as the educators, mentors, and loved ones who have helped them throughout their journeys to graduation.”

Everyone will have the opportunity to interact with the #GraduateTogether campaign, leading up to the primetime graduation tribute and beyond. Students, educators, and families can share their personal stories with the campaign at graduatetogether2020.com or by tagging their posts on social media with the #GraduateTogether hashtag. Twitter has released a special hashtag emoji to honor the high school Class of 2020 and is hosting a virtual watch party to create a community of unity as we all experience the show. Anyone can join the conversation by using the hashtag #GraduateTogether.

World-renowned artist JR and his participatory art project Inside Out have partnered with XQ Institute to create the #GraduateTogether Yearbook, the largest-ever high school yearbook giving graduates a place to share their portraits and stories while making a collective statement. Using the special Inside Out #GraduateTogether Lens on Snapchat—featuring Inside Out’s iconic black and white polka-dot background—any high school senior from the Class of 2020 can take a portrait and submit it to the project at graduatetogetheryearbook.com.

XQ Institute, The LeBron James Family Foundation, and The Entertainment Industry Foundation are partnering to host #GraduateTogether. Corporate and philanthropic giving associated with #GraduateTogether will benefit DonorsChoose and America’s Food Fund to help meet student needs in some of our nation’s most underserved and under-resourced communities.

ABOUT THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY FOUNDATION

Founded in 1942, the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF) is a multifaceted organization that occupies a unique place in the world of philanthropy. By mobilizing and leveraging the powerful voice and creative talents of the entertainment industry, as well as cultivating the support of organizations (public and private) and philanthropists committed to social responsibility, EIF builds awareness and raises funds, developing and enhancing programs on the local, national and global level that facilitate positive social change. Visit eifoundation.org and follow @eifoundation for more information.

EIF is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization with a four-star rating from Charity Navigator, platinum seal of transparency from Guidestar, and EIF meets all 20 BBB Charity Standards.

ABOUT THE LEBRON JAMES FAMILY FOUNDATION

Recognizing the life-changing importance of education, The LeBron James Family Foundation invests its time, resources, and attention in the kids of James’ hometown in Akron, Ohio. Through its I PROMISE Program, the foundation serves at-risk students and their entire families by providing them with the programs, support, and mentors they need for success in school and beyond. In 2018, the Foundation partnered with Akron Public Schools in an unprecedented public-private partnership to build all of its family-first programming and academic interventions into the groundbreaking I PROMISE School that has created a new model for urban, public education.

Leading with social emotional learning, the I PROMISE School provides a nurturing and supportive environment that fosters a STEM-focused and trauma-informed curriculum infused with LeBron’s “We Are Family” philosophy to assist the students and families in Akron who need it most. The school’s on-site Family Resource Center provides complete wraparound services for its families including career, academic, legal, medical, and emotional support to eliminate barriers on their path to a better future.

ABOUT XQ INSTITUTE

XQ Institute is the nation’s leading organization dedicated to rethinking the high school experience so that every student graduates ready to succeed in life. We work in communities throughout the country, with individual schools and entire school systems, to help them dream big about what high school could be, turn their innovative ideas into action, and create more rigorous and equitable schools. We share what’s working with other schools and districts, so they can tailor new models to the needs of their own students and communities. We know that seeing is believing, so we meet people where they are to share the importance and possibility of change through listening, learning, and storytelling. And our open-source tools, based on research and design thinking, empower people to take up the challenge of transforming their high schools with a unifying goal: unlocking the American promise of a high-quality education for everyone.

XQ was co-founded by board chair Laurene Powell Jobs, founder and president of Emerson Collective, and Russlynn Ali, XQ’s CEO and former U.S. assistant secretary of education for civil rights. XQ’s board of directors also includes Geoffrey Canada, Marc Eckō, Jimmy Iovine, Michael Klein, and Yo-Yo Ma. To learn more, visit http://www.xqsuperschool.org and follow @xqamerica.

Media Contacts

Julie Cloutier / julie.cloutier@ledecompany.com

Anna Bailer / anna.bailer@ledecompany.com