Grad 2020 — Citywide Civic Broadcast Initiative

Grad 2020 was developed as a citywide, televised graduation initiative created in response to the cancellation of in-person ceremonies during the COVID-19 pandemic. The program served as a collective moment of recognition for the Class of 2020, functioning as a unified roll call for graduates across the City of Chicago. ABC 7 partnered with the City of Chicago and Citadel to deliver the broadcast, coordinating creative direction, production systems, and stakeholder alignment across public, private, and media organizations. The initiative required rapid orchestration of brand standards, messaging, and activation frameworks to ensure consistency, dignity, and broad civic representation. Produced in collaboration with SYPartners and activated through ABC 7 production teams, the citywide graduation aired across multiple Chicago stations—demonstrating how creative systems and cross-sector partnerships can mobilize at scale during moments of disruption, while preserving shared cultural milestones.