09/09/2026
Sixty years ago this September, the first METCO students boarded buses from Boston to suburban schools-launching a program that would transform generations.
That historic journey did not happen overnight. It took parents, students, educators, civil rights leaders, and community advocates speaking out against educational inequity, organizing, creating Operation Exodus, building coalitions, and refusing to accept that a child’s ZIP code should determine their opportunities.
In 1966, 280 students traveled to seven participating districts. Today, METCO continues to unite students, families, alumni, educators, and partner communities in the ongoing work of educational equity and opportunity.
As we celebrate 60 years, we honor the courage and determination of those who built this movement, the generations who carried it forward, and the young people shaping its future.
One METCO. Sixty years of breaking boundaries—and a lifetime of opportunity.
