Rudy Giuliani and 9/11 Victims’ Families Launched Country’s First Comprehensive 9/11 Curriculum in NYC

Sept. 8^th press conference kicked off national pilot programs in New York, California, New Jersey, Alabama, Indiana and Kansas schools

New York City – Sept. 8, 2009 – Today, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, The Sept. 11^th Education Trust, a nonprofit organization representing survivors and families, and Social Studies School Service, a leading provider of materials for schools, launched the first comprehensive curriculum for students.   Teachers, parents and elected officials across the country recognize the need to fold the events of 9/11 into classroom instruction.  Now they have the tool with which to do so with The Sept. 11^th Education Program: A National Interdisciplinary Curriculum.

“Our goal is to help students remember the human dimension of these events,” said Anthony Gardner, Founder and Director of The September 11^th Education Trust and brother of 9/11 victim Harvey Joseph Gardner III.  “With this curriculum, it is now possible for students to understand the history of the 9/11 attacks as they honor and remember the victims and survivors.”

Drawing upon the educational expertise of Social Studies School Service and the Taft Institute for Government at Queens College, The Sept. 11^th Education Program: A National Interdisciplinary Curriculum is a multimedia curriculum that can be used as independent lessons or as a yearlong course of study. It provides seven curriculum units filled with inquiry-based interactive activities tied to national standards and a multitude of primary sources, including 70 first-person interviews with survivors, victim’s family members such as Beverly Eckert, and politicians such as Rudy Giuliani, Hillary Clinton, and others. Lessons are designed to teach about understanding 9/11 as history, debating the government's role during disasters, discussing the nature of heroism, evaluating foreign policy vis-à-vis national security, and clarifying how informed citizens can take beneficial action. The curriculum offers students the ability to document their findings through technology such as Google Earth and an interactive timeline.

The program also features a free 12-minute Remembrance Presentation, discussion questions and a video timeline of the day.  A binder includes complete lesson plans and reproducible handouts. To learn more and to download the free Remembrance Presentation, visit http://www.learnabout9-11.org/.

Schools in multiple states across the country are piloting the curriculum through the use of the Remembrance Presentation and discussion questions on Sept. 10^th and 11^th.  Schools include:

Crossroads Middle School, Los Angeles, California

Hollywood High School, Los Angeles, California

Lincoln High School, Vincennes, Indiana

Riverdell High School, Riverdell, New Jersey

Washington Academy, Rockford, Illinois

Wichita High School East, Wichita, Kansas

For more information, or to interview a school that is piloting the program, please contact Christine Allman, Christine@kehcomm.com or Kati Elliott, kati@kehcomm.com  or call 410-975-9638.

About The Sept. 11^th Education Trust

The September 11th Education Trust, founded in September 2001 as the WTC United Family Group, is a nonprofit organization directed by 9/11 victims’ families, survivors, rescue workers, and educators nationwide.  Evolving from its genesis as the WTC United Family Group, one of the original and largest of the 9/11 community organizations, the September 11th Education Trust produces comprehensive, flexible, and engaging 9/11 and civic literacy education programs that are personalized and enriched through firsthand accounts, filmed oral histories, and authentic, primary archival materials to permanently record this shared historic event in a way that is not stagnant, but inspiring and relevant to the nation’s youth.  

About Social Studies School Service

Social Studies School Service has been a leader in educational resources since 1965, meeting the evolving needs of teachers with accessible and engaging materials aligned with national standards. Social Studies School Service also offers interactive professional development focusing on skill development to effectively increase student achievement. For more information, visit www.socialstudies.com.