Newsela launched in 2013 with a bold mission: Meaningful classroom learning for every student. Today, our team constantly strives to deliver powerful solutions that inspire our users.
Graduation Activities To Prep Students for What’s Next
Christy Walters
April 30, 2025
It’s the event that high schoolers look forward to for four years: Graduation Day. Whether your students are excited about what’s next or are still trying to figure out where they’ll go after high school, you can use the graduation activities to help them consider their options and create a plan for their futures:
[See what goes into creating a graduation speech in ELA](id-ela)
Whether you’re listening to the valedictorian, an alumni, or a famous guest speaker, there will be at least one speech at every graduation ceremony. But how do these speeches get written and what inspires them? Students can explore these and other questions with ELA lessons:
Read inspirational graduation speeches
Get students thinking like an inspirational speaker by reading the text of powerful graduation speeches from figures like:
Comedian Jimmy Fallon, and his address to students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School following a violent tragedy there in 2018.
Former President Barack Obama, and his 2016 address to graduates at Howard University.
Sef Scott, a 17-year-old mostly-nonverbal autistic student who surprised his classmates by delivering their commencement address.
Practice writing a commencement speech
Whether students will deliver a graduation speech or not, they can practice writing one to improve their skills with the following lesson:
First, have students read the text of Apple Founder Steve Jobs’ 2005 commencement address at Stanford University.
Next, have students read the text of Megan Red Shirt-Shaw’s 2017 Harvard commencement speech and compare the structure and message to Jobs’ speech.
After graduation, students will be starting their next level of schooling or diving into the job market. Help them prepare for these new paths in their lives before they leave high school by sharing articles on topics like:
How colleges and universities work to adapt their program offerings to align with the constantly changing job market.
What to do if you get a college rejection letter, and how you can adjust your post-graduation path.
How to write a resume to highlight your schooling and skills and become a contender for the jobs you want.
Encourage students to research careers that interest them
Need to get in one more research project before the end of the year? Try one that encourages students to research careers they may be interested in after graduation. Use resources that help them look at areas like:
[Discover potential post-graduation plans in social studies](id-ss)
Before students walk across the stage to receive their diplomas, help them think about the next steps after graduation with resources for college and career planning:
Share more information about the higher-education system
Students may choose to pursue higher education after high school, but may not be familiar with how the college and university system differs from their past schooling. Help students learn more about how colleges and universities work with articles on topics like:
The disparity in college recruiter visits at affluent and low-income high schools.
If tuition-free college programs in the U.S. would be sustainable and who should provide the aid.
How the 2019 celebrity college admissions scandal showed that people can manipulate their way into acceptance—and what it means for people who don’t have the money to do so.
Teach about the cultural significance of HBCUs
Historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) have existed for decades but came back into the spotlight after Vice President Kamala Harris’ election in 2020. Students can learn more about the history of HBCUs and what they have to offer by exploring resources like:
An interview with Vice President Harris about how attending Howard University helped shape her identity and her career path.
An article that looks at why more Black students are choosing to attend HBCUs over other colleges and universities.
An opinion article about how the culture at HBCUs enables Black female leaders to grow and reach their goals.
Explore alternatives to four-year college
Attending a four-year college isn’t the best path for everyone. Career paths, family obligations, finances, and many other factors can influence what students choose to do after high school. Help your students understand their options by exploring articles on topics like:
An overview of the different types of post-secondary options like public or private colleges, two-year colleges, and career schools.
How K-12 schools, community colleges, and private employers are working together to create more apprenticeship opportunities for students before they graduate.
How nonprofit organizations are working in urban areas to help students develop the skills they need to enter the workforce.
How geographers study different areas of the planet and how they change.
Explore careers in planning and analysis
For students who are more interested in current events and changing the future, they can explore careers in planning and analysis by looking at the day-to-day responsibilities of jobs like:
Data engineers
Advertising, marketing, and promotions managers
Urban planners
Learn more about entrepreneurship
Some students may have dreams of starting their own businesses. Help them learn from people who have done it before them by reading articles on topics like:
How former NFL lineman John Urschel left football to become a mathematician.
The challenges Black women face when starting their own businesses and how they are advocating for themselves.
How a group of Florida teens started their own honey business to support charities and provide food options for their community.
Help younger students prepare for high school
Twelfth-graders aren’t the only potential graduates we have in our schools. Eighth-graders may also be preparing to move to high school. Help them learn what they need to know for the next phase of their education by sharing articles on topics like:
What Advanced Placement courses are and who can take them.
What a grade-point average (GPA) is and what it can tell you about your education.
How work experience in high school can help you with your college applications.
[Learn about careers you could have in science after graduation](id-sci)
Do you have students who love STEM classes and projects? A career in science, tech, engineering, or math may be right for them! Help these students explore potential careers in science with the following resources:
See the various types of science careers students could pursue
Science jobs are all around us. While most people think of those who work in a lab and do research, there are many more interesting STEM careers out there that students can try. Help them read up on careers like:
Doctors and researchers
Personal trainers
Meteorologists in charge
Avionics engineers
Architects
Explore computer science careers
A subsegment of STEM careers are those in computer science. Help students understand how coding, engineering, and problem solving come together in careers like:
Browse more educational and seasonal content from Newsela.
Blog
How To Keep Students Engaged Until Summer Break
Discover how to use mini-inquiry lessons to keep students engaged in their social studies lessons in the last weeks of the school year before summer break.
Newsela’s personalized approach to reading and writing provides students the opportunity to keep learning year-round. Enjoy 3 tips for a successful summer!
Engaging Summer Reading Selections for Every Grade Band
Discover summer reading recommendations for elementary, middle, and high school students and resources to help make the themes of the stories come alive.
Products Overview
