50th Anniversary of METCO in Arlington

ARLINGTON, MA - The 50th anniversary of METCO will be highlighted at this year’s 28th Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday Observance. The program will be held at 7:30 p.m., Monday, Jan. 18, at Robbins Memorial Town Hall 730 Massachusetts Ave. Doors will open at 6:45 p.m.

The METCO Program (Metropolitan Council for Educational Opportunities) was founded in 1966, and is a voluntary integration program that provides a suburban public education for African-American, Hispanic and Asian students from Boston. The Arlington Public Schools have participated in the program since 1966. The program provides Arlington students and staff an opportunity to interact with many students of color and to benefit from a culturally diverse learning environment.

Annually, there are approximately 12,000 Boston children on a waiting list for an average of 460 openings, according to METCO’s webiste. The typical wait for an open seat in a participating public school is nearly five years. There are no entrance exams for students entering the program and openings are filled according to the waiting list. Enrollment is for students residing in the Boston Metropolitan area.

There will be a collection of non-perishable goods for the Arlington Food Pantry at the celebration. A free-will offering will benefit public and nonprofit programs that further the goals of Dr. King

Photo: METCO