How to Commemorate 9/11 in Your Community

Communities all over the world share in our sacred obligation to remember those who were killed on 9/11, recognize all who survived and honor the sacrifices of the first responders and recovery workers.

Today we highlight four instances of touching community observances, student engagement or local events that speak to this commitment to never forget. The 9/11 Memorial Museum offers several resources to help and inspire others to do the same within their own communities.

Cedar Groves Waves

Like many, New Jersey resident, David Schoner wanted to ensure that the nearly 3,000 people killed on 9/11 would never be forgotten, and that the young people of his community understood the scale of loss from that day. For the past three years, working with the Cedar Grove School District and High School Principal, David along with Cedar Grove High School students install nearly 3,000 American flags on the front lawn of the high school. The flags are placed alphabetically and with perfect, grid-like precision.

Find more tools for planning your ceremony here, and download a list of names inscribed on the 9/11 Memorial here.

USS New York 9/11

The USS New York (LPD-21) is part of the U.S. Navy’s fleet of warships. It is one of three ships named after the 9/11 attack sites. The bow of the USS New York is constructed with some salvaged World Trade Center site steel. On the 16th anniversary of September 11, on their way to provide Hurricane Irma relief in Key West, Fla. via the Atlantic Ocean, the ship’s crew gathered on its deck to commemorate the day. The ship’s bells tolled at key moments on 9/11, marking the times of attack.

Find out more information about different ceremonies for commemoration.

9/11 Living Memorial in Jerusalem

At the 9/11 Living Memorial in Jerusalem, Israel, government officials and United States war veterans and first responders gathered to honor and those killed on 9/11. The 9/11 Living Memorial is a 30-foot high bronze sculpture of a waving American flag that morphs into a memorial flame resting on a gray granite base, which includes a metal beam from the original Twin Towers.

Find a 9/11 memorial using the Memorials Registry.

Teaching and Learning at PS 164 in Brooklyn

Fourth graders from PS 164 in Brooklyn work on a 9/11 Memorial Survivor Tree adorned with leaf cutouts decorated with symbols of hope and resilience. This activity was part of the Museum’s student workshop, Understanding 9/11 for Young Learners.

Read more about how to talk to kids about terrorism, and review 9/11 lesson plans here.

By 9/11 Memorial Staff