Each year during my time as Trustee on the Toronto District School Board I gave graduation speeches at more than dozen schools.  I found that coming up with themes for these speeches was often a challenge, and I know that others facing that task felt the same way.  Not only do these remarks need to engage both young graduates and their parents, ideally they should both entertaining and inspiring.

I don’t know how many times I achieved these goals, but for those of you who have the privilege of helping young scholars celebrate success and prepare for a transition, I have posted a few of my favourites.  I hope that these speeches might provide some ideas, and perhaps inspiration, for remarks that go beyond yet another recitation of Dr. Suess’s “Oh the places you’ll go”.  Feel free to use them in any way that you choose.

Grad speech – Grade 6 – Spiderman

Grad speech – Grade 8 – Helen Keller

Grad speech – Grade 8 – Science of asking questions

Grad speech – Grade 8 – Dopamine, Oxytocin, Cortisol

Grad speech – Grade 12 – Churchill

Grad speech – Grade 12 – Shackleton

Grad speech – Grade 12 – Dylan

[You may note that after I thank staff and parents, I often apologized for turning my back so that I might to speak to the grads.  I did this so that I could face the students in those cases in which they were seated beside or behind the podium.]