NEW YORK CITY (WABC) — As the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks approaches, New York City leaders are investing $1 million to make sure the next generation understands the history and legacy of the deadliest terrorist attack on American soil.
Julie Menin, Speaker of the New York City Council, is expected to announce Thursday that the council will direct $1 million to expand educational programming at the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, including free field trips for all 20,000 New York City public school eighth graders.
The announcement will be made during a 10 a.m. news conference outside the Oculus at the World Trade Center, followed by an 11 a.m. wreath-laying ceremony honoring the nearly 3,000 people killed in the attacks.
The funding will expand existing museum programs, covering costs for student field trips, audio guides, school outreach and educator training. According to the museum, about 75% of the funding will be used to provide free visits for eighth-grade students, with each trip costing an estimated $23 per student.
The initiative comes as fewer Americans have firsthand memories of Sept. 11. Beth Hillman, president and CEO of the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, recently noted that roughly 100 million Americans alive today were not old enough to remember the attacks.
“As we approach the 25th anniversary of Sept. 11, it is more important than ever that a new generation of New Yorkers understands what happened that day and carries forward the stories of those we lost,” Menin said in a statement.
The council’s investment will also support the museum’s educational programs beyond the classroom. About $250,000 will fund virtual learning initiatives, including online field trips and teaching materials designed for students and educators outside New York City and those unable to visit the museum in person.
Funding will also bolster the museum’s Anniversary Digital Learning Experience, which features firsthand accounts from a Sept. 11 survivor, an NYPD first responder and family members of victims, along with classroom resources tailored to different grade levels.
The announcement follows the museum’s broader effort to engage younger generations with no personal memory of the attacks. Earlier this week, the institution unveiled “In Their Honor,” a new exhibition exploring how New Yorkers responded in the aftermath of Sept. 11 through community service, art and remembrance.
