Edwin Kagin offers a graduation speech for atheists:
You know, with all the talk of Christians being urged to push their faith at graduation ceremonies, there’s no reason we couldn’t do the same thing…We have tried to teach you the principals of reason, critical thinking, logical fallacy, ethical behavior, and the methods of science and evidence. We want you to know that there is a big difference between Righteousness and Self-Righteousness.
We want you to know and understand the difference between belief and proof; between faith and fact. We want you to know that you are part of a great historic tradition of bringing light unto darkness; that there is a difference between that which is ethical and that which is expedient; a difference between being truly moral and being a follower of religious rules. We want you to know that science is based on facts, not on fairy tales. That evolution is a fact and that “Creationism” is a fairy tale. That there is a difference between coincidence and causation. A difference between potential and actual…
…
For your own safety’s sake, we have tried to help you learn to distinguish between logic and fallacy; between science and superstition; between real and pretend; between the wonder of discovery and magical thinking. We want you to know the difference between doing and dogma; between imagination and mythology. And we want you to understand that learning never ends. We want you to know, as many do not, that life does not stop with High School graduation. None of us know the limits of what you may yet learn and what you may yet become. There will also be some pain and some disappointments. It is all part of the deal. We did not make the rules.
I know we groan at the thought of students using their time on stage to talk about their faith — even if it’s legal for them to do so — but why not take advantage of the opportunity? It would be pretty awesome to hear a valedictorian or elected class speaker using the time to promote science over religion, or how we must be self-reliant instead of asking a god for help, or how coming out as an atheist was a turning point in your personal development…
In fact, if you’re a high school student and you get me proof (Video? Newspaper article?) that you spoke about your atheism at a graduation ceremony, I’ll send you a package full of atheist swag — signed books, wristbands, babies, etc. — as well as give you a proper shout-out on the site. (High stakes, I know.)
Good luck!