Melrose Families Invited To METCO Family Fun Fair

MELROSE, MA — Melrose Public Schools families will have an opportunity to meet and connect with families in the METCO program at an event later this month in Boston.

Dubbed the Family Fun Fair, the event will take place on Aug. 28 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Garvey Playground in Boston’s Dorchester neighborhood.

Families with children in the Melrose Schools are invited to meet METCO students and families while learning more about the METCO program and enjoying a series of family-friendly activities.

“We are so excited to host the first family event in Boston for the Melrose and Boston families, in hopes of building everlasting friendships,” Melrose METCO Director Amy Jackson said in a recent event announcement.

The event is organized by the nonprofit Metafold, with help from the Friends of Melrose METCO. Attractions include face-painting, a basketball clinic, a market fair for Black-owned businesses and exhibits and presentations on the history of METCO.

There will also be an opportunity to donate to a backpack/school supply drive for METCO students.

Short for the Metropolitan Council for Educational Opportunity, METCO is a school integration program, enrolling Boston students in suburban public schools.

It traces its history back to 1966, when familities founded it with the mission of providing “the opportunity for children from racially segregated schools in Boston and children from racially isolated schools in the suburbs to learn together in an integrated public school setting,” as noted on its website.

Today, METCO partners with districts ranging from Foxborough, to Marblehead, to Sudbury. More than 100 students participate in Melrose’s METCO program.

Click here to learn more and register for the upcoming Family Fun Fair.

For more information, contact friendsofmelrosemetco@gmail.com.

Garvey Playground is located at 340 Neponset Ave. in Boston.