20 Million Students Have Participated In Educational Programs

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, September 29, 2026

9/11 MEMORIAL & MUSEUM ANNOUNCES 20 MILLION STUDENTS HAVE PARTICIPATED IN EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS

This year’s 9/11 Anniversary Digital Learning Experience reached 1.5 million students as the nation commemorated the 25th anniversary

NEW YORK – As the nation marks 25 years since the September 11, 2001 attacks, the 9/11 Memorial & Museum announced that it has reached its goal of engaging 20 million students across the country. This milestone comes at a time when one in three Americans – roughly 100 million people – were born after 9/11 or are too young to remember the events of that day.

“We have a sacred obligation to remember what happened on 9/11 – and to ensure future generations never forget,” said Beth Hillman, President and CEO of the 9/11 Memorial & Museum. “25 years since September 11, 2001, we remain committed to providing educators with the tools needed to share these vital stories and offering students new ways to grasp how 9/11 continues to shape our world.”

“From the very inception of our organization, our mission to commemorate, educate, and inspire has been central,” said Noah Rauch, Senior Vice President for Education and Public Programs at the 9/11 Memorial & Museum. “As a new generation comes of age with no memory of 9/11, we’re continuing our efforts to reach new audiences through innovative, age-appropriate educational programming.”

On September 11, 2026, 1.5 million students across all 50 states participated in the annual Anniversary Digital Learning Experience, a 50 percent increase over 2025. This year’s program featured a 35-minute film highlighting personal stories from a survivor, an NYPD first responder, and family members who lost loved ones on 9/11 and a live chat with Education staff from the 9/11 Memorial & Museum. The Anniversary Digital Learning Experience is now available on demand on our website.

In addition, fall semester bookings are now open for school field trips. Thanks to generous support from the Wilf Family Foundations, Barbara & H. Rodgin Cohen, and public funds from the New York City Department of Youth and Community Development in partnership with the City Council, these field trips are free for all tri-state schools.

The 9/11 Memorial & Museum has successfully reached 20 million students and educators through a range of on site and virtual educational opportunities that continue to expand. These programs and resources include:

• School Programs: Offered at the Museum and virtually, these inquiry-based programs help students understand 9/11 and its ongoing significance today.
• • On-site field trips are guided, 60-minute tours led by skilled Museum educators.
  • Virtual field trips are dynamic, 45-minute virtual tours of the 9/11 Memorial & Museum that highlight artifacts and exhibitions, offering time for student questions throughout.
  • Self-guided field trips are class visits not led by Museum staff. Additional information about school programs can be found on our website.
• Lesson Plans: The 9/11 Memorial & Museum offers a wide range of online resources, including interactive lesson plans for educators teaching grades 3-12, categorized by grade level and theme. The collection features a new, special lesson plan marking the 25th anniversary, titled Feathers of a Phoenix: Making Art to Remember, which invites students to explore how art can help people express feelings, remember important people or events, and find hope after difficult experiences. All lesson plans are available for free on our website.
• Anniversary Digital Learning Experience: The 9/11 Memorial & Museum offers the online Anniversary Digital Learning Experience (DLE), inviting students and teachers from around the world to commemorate the anniversary of 9/11, and maintains archives of past programs and speakers, which include family members, first responders, survivors, service members, and witnesses. This year’s program and the DLE archive can be found on the 9/11 Memorial & Museum website.
• Educator Professional Development: The 9/11 Memorial & Museum offers a range of virtual and onsite professional development workshops designed for educators, administrators, librarians, and curriculum specialists that address the challenges of teaching difficult content and explore interdisciplinary connections to curriculum and standards through Museum tours, hands-on activities, and group discussion.

In addition to programs offered throughout the year, the institution offers a week-long Summer Institute for Educators, offered at the Museum, that provides classroom-ready strategies to discuss 9/11 with students, insights from Museum staff, experts, and fellow educators, and advice on how to use artifacts and primary sources to explore the themes and issues raised by the attacks. Applications for Summer 2027 will open this winter.

ABOUT THE 9/11 MEMORIAL & MUSEUM

A quarter century after the September 11, 2001 attacks, the 9/11 Memorial & Museum fulfills its mission of commemoration and education by exploring 9/11, documenting its impact, and examining its significance. Located on eight of the 16 acres of the World Trade Center site, the 9/11 Memorial & Museum remembers and honors the 2,983 people killed by the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and February 26, 1993. Through exhibitions, programs, and commemorative events, it educates the public, including the 100 million Americans too young to remember for themselves, about the consequences of terrorism and its impact on individuals and communities. To inspire a more compassionate and secure world, we share authentic stories of resilience, courage, and service rooted in the acts of individuals on and after 9/11.

For more information or to reserve a ticket to the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, please visit 911memorial.org.

MEDIA INQUIRIES

Garrett Levine | (954) 464-4015 | press@911memorial.org