METALLICA's JAMES HETFIELD Talks About 'Metallica Scholars' Program (Video)

In the clip below, METALLICA frontman James Hetfield about the motivation behind the Metallica Scholars program.

The Metallica Scholars initiative was created in 2019 through a partnership between METALLICA's All Within My Hands foundation (AWMH) and the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC),a Washington, D.C. based organization representing the country's more than 1,000 community colleges.

Hetfield states: "All Within My Hands was formed out of a want and a need to help, to give back. There were some things that were somewhat obvious that we could all agree upon, like natural disasters or food — something like that. But then beyond that, how do we get into education with the trades and skills? And getting in to find the passion was super important to us. And all of those people that don't fit the Ivy League road to success, we want a place for them. We feel that our music is that place for the forgotten, the invisible kids, the misfit-type people that don't think they fit in. Being able to highlight and to love and to shine some heroism, some thank yous on to all of these trades and skills that are lifelong is pretty important for us."

Says METALLICA: "We strongly believe that dedicated members of all industries, not just the ones society tends to focus on, deserve respect and admiration. It is our honor to assist these students as they work toward establishing sustainable careers. We see your passion and we thank you for your extremely important contributions. #HelpingHands2020 #MetallicaGivesBack".

The AWMH foundation was established in 2017 by METALLICA as a means to give back to the people and places that have supported the band, and to engage METALLICA fans in philanthropic efforts. In addition to combatting hunger through an alliance with Feeding America, AWMH is focused on supporting sustainable communities through workforce education. All expenses of the foundation are covered by the band, the board, and a few special friends, so that 100% of donations go to the organizations it supports. AWMH is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization.