Mission
For almost a decade the 9/11 Tribute Museum has provided walking tours, guided museum visits, video conferencing, teacher workshops, and online resources to educators and students. The Museum offers visitors the ability to learn factual information about the events, the unprecedented rescue and recovery operations and the rebuilding of both Lower Manhattan and of people’s lives, presenting videos, artifacts and “Person to Person History.”
Visitors discover the tremendous spirit of resilience and service that arose after the attacks, and are encouraged to honor the legacy of that spirit through volunteerism and acts of kindness in their own communities. Our focus on telling the history of 9/11 through first person narrative has provided educators with a personal and effective way of connecting visitors and students to 9/11.
History
The 9/11 Tribute Museum, formerly known as the 9/11 Tribute Center, is a project of the September 11th Families’ Association, a 501(c)3 non profit, began serving the public in 2006.
The September 11th Families’ Association was created by the widows and families of the Fire Department of New York. The Association established a new mission to unite and support all victims of terrorism through communication, representation and peer support. The 9/11 Tribute Museum embodies the need to gather at the World Trade Center site, connecting the people, places and events of February 26, 1993 and September 11, 2001 and reflect.
Education Programs
Guiding our young people, many of whom were born after 2001, to understand how our city and world were changed on 9/11 is central to the mission of the 9/11 Tribute Museum. Personal experiences are used to illustrate the humanity and community that was both lost and found in the aftermath of 9/11. We strive to help students appreciate the scope and impact of the disaster as well as the enormous outpouring of compassion in response. The Museum allows students to explore the factual events of 9/11, the unprecedented rescue and recovery operations, the rebuilding of Lower Manhattan, the tremendous spirit of resilience and service that arose after the attacks, and how we can grow through volunteerism and acts of kindness in our own communities. Our educational programs include:
Guided & Self-Guided 9/11 Tribute Museum Visits
Students will tour the museum’s galleries on their own or with one of our guides to experience the impact of 9/11 through the stories of those who were there, focusing on learning through primary sources: videos, artifacts, images and oral histories. After touring the galleries, students may speak with a 9/11 Tribute Museum guide who will share their personal 9/11 experiences, answer questions and engage students in dialogue about the future. Learn More.
Guided Tour of the 9/11 Memorial
Go on a guided tour of the 9/11 Memorial and hear our guides’ powerful stories of their experiences during and after the attacks. They share insight on the history of 9/11 and the Memorial pools, the Survivor Tree and the new buildings on the site. Learn More.
Distance Learning programs
In our Distance Learning programs, students will be given the chance to foster a connection with members of the 9/11 community and explore the history of the event through live videoconferencing. We can work with you to provide your students with a meaningful experience with one of our Guides customized for your curriculum. Programs are adapted for many subjects including social studies, English language arts, ethics, character development, community service, and health. Learn More.
Professional Development & Workshops
We offer innovative techniques for linking this contemporary history to a variety of curriculum areas and emphasize teaching with primary sources.
Our workshops respond to the directives of Common Core Standards, helping teachers to use primary source materials to teach about 9/11. We guide teachers to locate and use oral histories in their classrooms, as well as learn to read photos and artifacts. We have addressed many challenging issues related to teaching 9/11 including debunking conspiracy theories, working with classes composed of multi-cultural students, and understanding terrorism in the 21st century.
We partner with other national educational organizations to provide outstanding workshops for teachers. In partnering with Facing History and Ourselves, we involve teachers in wrestling with difficult moments in history. Teachers investigate how recent history is recorded, analyzed, memorialized and how it impacts our day-to-day lives. Other partnering organizations such as Brown University’s Choices Program have provided a range of workshops helping teachers to confidently bring this challenging subject into their classroom. Learn More.