Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

vFairs to Offer Virtual Graduation Ceremonies

  • By Matt Jones
  • 03/31/21

vFairs, a hybrid and virtual event platform, will be offering its services to public schools, colleges, and universities as the second graduation season of the COVID-19 pandemic draws closer. According to a press release, the platform provides “immersive, customizable virtual graduation ceremonies” that includes features like 3D modeling and a digital rendering of the campus of choice to make a remote ceremony feel as real as possible.

The service can create a custom, 3D model of a graduation space, be it a high-school auditorium, a college campus stadium—or even the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Virtual avatars of students wear caps and gowns. Schools can schedule speaking opportunities for graduation speakers like notable alumni or celebrities. It also includes multiple outlets for student participation and engagement like a virtual yearbook, trivial challenges, scavenger hunts, social walls, and chat rooms.

“In response to the ongoing pandemic, many schools are planning early virtual graduations this year,” said vFairs CEO Muhammad Younas. “Even though they can’t attend a physical ceremony, there’s no reason students should feel left out of their graduation. Our virtual environments are designed to make you feel as though you are actually there and leave a lasting impression on graduates and their families.”

Administrators can still control who attends the event. Access can be limited to registered students and their family and friends, and use of an email whitelist can help make sure only invited guests attend. Access to the ceremony can also be open and unrestricted, if desired.

A poll conducted in March 2020 by Educause Review found that almost half of all responding colleges and universities (49%) were planning to postpone their 2020 graduation ceremonies. Fourteen percent planned a virtual ceremony, and another 14% simply cancelled the affair.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Rhode Island Boarding School Completes Student Dorm Renovations

    St. George’s School in Middletown, R.I., recently announced the completion of a $26-million renovation project on Arden-Diman-Eccles Dormitory, according to a news release. The school partnered with Voith & Mactavish Architects (VMA) on the new space, which places a new focus on collaborative community spaces open to both boarding students and day students.

  • Countway Library at Harvard Medical School

    From Shadows to Sanctuary: The Transformation of Light at Countway Library

    The renovation of Countway Library at Harvard Medical School demonstrates how biophilic design and advanced lighting strategies transformed a formerly dark, insular space into a vibrant, welcoming hub that supports wellness, learning, and community engagement.

  • Photo credit - Chuck Coates

    Florida District Modernizes Central Energy Plants at Two High Schools

    Flagler Schools, a public school district in Flagler County, Fla., recently partnered with Matern Professional Engineering to modernize the central energy plants at two of its high schools, according to a news release. The project is part of a larger, district-wide effort to reduce energy costs and operational expenses.

  • Houston K–12 District Opens New Elementary School

    The Lamar Consolidated Independent School District (Lamar CISD) recently announced the completion of a new elementary school in a western suburb of Houston, Texas, according to a news release. Haygood Elementary School measures in at 110,000 square feet, has the capacity for 854 students, and is the first of three new schools scheduled to be built in the Cross Creek West community.