Fort Lauderdale, Fla. – The Broward Education Foundation has teamed with ImagineAR to create #2020gradsecret – an immersive augmented reality (AR) mobile experience for students graduating from Broward County Public Schools.

Using the free ImagineAR app, grads are recording themselves in their homes accepting diplomas from Broward Schools Superintendent Robert Runcie, joining international music superstar Flo Rida for a congratulatory message or dancing with either one of them – and instantly sharing the videos on social media. The interactive AR videos make it appear that Runcie and Flo Rida are inside the graduate’s actual home. “This futuristic ImagineAR augmented reality technology is a trip,” said Flo Rida. “I’m happy to help these graduates define a new way of celebrating and social interaction as they move on to the next chapter in their young lives.” In addition to the custom immersive experiences, using the ImagineAR app, grads can point their phones at the #2020gradsecret social media sign to launch a very special video message from NBA legend and longtime Miami Heat superstar Dwyane Wade.

Each of the more than 18,000 graduating seniors received a special Class of 2020 sign with their cap and gown packages, courtesy of foundation partner BrightStar Credit Union.

Broward County Public Schools graduates are encouraged to post their videos on social media tagging their school and #2020GradSecret. One student in each of the four AR experience categories will be awarded $200 from the Broward Education Foundation in a “who did it best” contest.

The foundation said it wanted to do something special for seniors missing out on ceremonies because of coronavirus lockdowns and had been working on the project for the past six weeks. They said it was hard to keep it a secret for so long.

The experiences is geo-targeted only to Broward County’s more than 18,000 graduates.