Megan Jones, vice president of education programs at the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, says it’s hard for a lot of us to recognize that today’s 8-year-old Cub Scout was born 17 years after one of the darkest days in American history.
The further away from it we get, she says, the more important it is to continue passing down stories from 9/11. That’s what the 9/11 Memorial & Museum does best. From the horrific events of the day to the heroic efforts of first responders and civilians and the ongoing impact of the attacks, the history and legacy of 9/11 can be learned in person in New York City and virtually on the upcoming 25th anniversary through the free 9/11 Anniversary Digital Learning Experience.
“The idea behind this is to connect those with no memory of this event with people who were there or experienced the attacks in some way,” Jones says.
While the museum tells the story of the nearly 3,000 people killed on 9/11 — including in the attacks at the Pentagon and in a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania — both the museum and memorial highlight something Scouts know well: that ordinary people can make an extraordinary difference through service.
Whether you’re planning a family vacation or a troop trip or simply looking for meaningful online resources before the anniversary of 9/11, the museum offers experiences that help young people understand not only what happened, but also why service still matters.
“Twenty-five years later, a generation that grew up in the aftermath of 9/11 chose service in response to the attacks,” Jones says. “Scouts understand service, and service can take many forms — becoming a first responder, becoming a teacher, a nurse.”
Even better, many of the museum’s educational resources are free and available from anywhere, making them ideal for packs, troops and crews that can’t make the trip to New York.
completing activities in the museum’s classrooms.
Explore at your own pace
The museum has made a point of creating experiences specifically for young visitors.One of its newest offerings is a self-guided audio tour designed for kids and families. Rather than simply listing facts, the tour encourages conversation.
When groups approach the mangled remains of a fire truck operated by the Fire Department of New York’s (FDNY) Ladder 3 Company, widely known as Ladder 3, they’ll hear the story of the 11 members who died in the North Tower.
But they will also hear clips from people talking about Ladder 3 and their memories of the days that followed. At the end of each stop, tour guides ask questions like, “What do you think about what you just heard?” Jones says the entire tour takes a less didactic approach than other museum visits might.
Smaller groups can also sign up for educator-led field trips of the museum.
Each tour ends with a reflection activity in which participants create a tissue-paper rose to honor one of the victims whose name appears on the memorial. Outside the museum, the Art Cart offers hands-on activities for families who may not be touring the exhibits, ensuring young visitors can still connect with the stories behind the memorial.
The 9/11 Memorial Art Cart is a free program on the Memorial Plaza
that helps children explore stories of the World Trade Center site.
A meaningful experience from home
Not every Scout unit can travel to New York City. That’s why the museum has invested heavily in virtual programming.
Its free Digital Learning Experience is available on demand each year on the anniversary and is especially poignant this year. It lasts about 35 minutes and features first responders, survivors and family members sharing personal stories that help today’s youth understand an event they didn’t experience firsthand.
Those stories often inspire Scout units to pair the program with a local service project.
“A lot of times, they see the film and hear the stories, then have a new sense of purpose or connection to 9/11,” Jones says. “There are 9/11 memorials across the country. We hear all the time of Scouts cleaning up memorials in their own town as part of their service project after visiting here or participating virtually.”
On the anniversary of 9/11, museum educators also host a live online chat where students, parents and youth leaders can ask them questions directly. Since the program began, more than 4 million students have participated.
Activities Scouts can do anywhere
The museum’s website includes free activities that work well for den and troop meetings or family discussions.Scouts can make the tissue-paper birthday roses, create Survivor Tree art projects and learn about first responders through age-appropriate activities. Lesson plans and viewing guides help adult leaders choose resources that fit the ages of the youth in their group.
One project especially resonated with Jones. After participating in the 9/11 Anniversary Digital Learning Experience, students from Round Rock, Texas, researched victims from their home state, created tissue-paper roses and mailed them to New York so museum staff could place them beside those individuals’ names on the memorial.
It’s the kind of project any Scout unit could adapt by researching local connections to 9/11 or combining the museum’s virtual resources with a community service project.
More than history
The museum never loses sight of the difficult events of 9/11, but its education team also wants young visitors to recognize what happened on 9/12 and beyond.
“I think it’s an opportunity for us to see our own humanity and the humanity in others,” Jones says. “It’s a story about human beings — ordinary people doing extraordinary things, helping strangers and building communities.”
Photos: Jin Lee, 9/11 Memorial
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