The New York City Council has allocated $1 million to help students visit the 9/11 Memorial & Museum and learn about the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
“I’m very happy to hear that the City Council is recognizing the need for our next generation to understand what happened on 9/11, and to understand the impact that it caused,” Natan Mandelbaum, a paramedic who worked as a first responder during the attacks, told JNS. “‘Never forget’ isn’t just a statement. It requires action.”
Julie Menin, speaker of the City Council, announced the funding outside the museum on Thursday. The funding, included in the council’s fiscal year 2027 budget, will provide free guided, self-guided and virtual field trips for New York City students, with a focus on eighth-grade classes, as well as expanded educational programming.
“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 stated.
“Through this funding, we honor the lives lost and celebrate the New Yorkers who made profound sacrifices in the face of terror,” she said. “I’m grateful for our partnership with the 9/11 Memorial & Museum as we work together to ensure that ‘Never Forget’ remains a promise passed from one generation to the next.”
Nearly one-third of Americans were born after the attacks or are too young to remember them firsthand, according to the council and the museum.
“There are 100 million Americans alive today who are too young to remember 9/11,” Beth Hillman, president and CEO of the museum, said. “That’s why our educational programming is so vital.”
After the announcement, Menin and other council members participated in a wreath-laying ceremony at the memorial near the Survivor Tree.
