The 9/11 Memorial and Museum has unveiled a new exhibition titled "In Their Honor: 25 Years of 9/11 Inspired Service," which aims to explore the legacy of service that emerged in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and to preserve that history for younger generations.

The exhibition features artifacts, interactive displays, and personal accounts from individuals who dedicated their lives to service, including military members, first responders, volunteers, educators, and victims' families. This initiative coincides with the upcoming 25th anniversary of the attacks.

"So many people who visit the museum or who are interested in learning about 9/11 are too young to remember themselves, and one of the stories that they don't necessarily realize when they start to encounter the history of 9/11 is how much it changed the arc of people's lives," said 9/11 Memorial and Museum President and CEO Elizabeth L. Hillman.

A central piece of the exhibition is "Feathers of the Phoenix," a 15-foot papier-mâché sculpture created by children who lost loved ones on 9/11 while attending America's Camp. Hillman described it as a signature artifact representing how those young individuals channeled their grief into purpose.

Beyond the physical exhibition, the museum offers a free digital learning experience that includes a 35-minute film. This film shares six personal stories, including that of brothers James and Patrick Dowdell. Their firefighter father died responding to the attacks, which inspired James to join the Fire Department of New York and Patrick to serve in the U.S. Army.

"I think that first-person storytelling is the way to reach young people," Hillman stated.

To engage audiences with no direct memory of 9/11, the museum provides age-appropriate educational resources. These include recommendations for materials like Sesame Street's post-9/11 episodes to help families discuss the events.

"We need to reach the people who are becoming teachers, who are becoming firefighters, police officers, members of the Armed Forces, and help them understand what it was to come together after 9/11 and develop a response to a catastrophe that we did not anticipate," Hillman said.

She emphasized that the museum's mission is increasingly vital 25 years after the attacks, noting that the event "really called everybody to lead."

The exhibition opened to the public on September 12.