9/11 undeniably reshaped our nation. Today, it falls on our educators to pass on the lessons they lived through to a new generation - a group of students who, with wide-eyed innocence and genuine disbelief, ask, “YOU were alive during 9/11?”

It’s been 25 years since that fateful day, and this year, in an act of solemn remembrance, two faculty members set out to help students discover the personal connections that link them to such a pivotal moment in history through an in-school 9/11 Museum.

Each year, 7th Grade English teacher Teresa Carlton guides her students through the history of 9/11 using the novel Ground Zero to explore its enduring impact. With nearly every Greenville student passing through her classroom, the school community shares a foundation that makes the museum experience even more powerful.

Carlton shared, “It’s important for kids to learn about because life as they know it is a direct result of the changes in our country from 9/11.” As a college student in New York City at the time, Carlton has a unique perspective to offer students. And while she shares the details of her experience on that day, above all else, she hopes students grasp the spirit of September 12th and how a city came together to help and support one another.

This year, MS/HS Library Media Specialist Kylie Conley set out to expand on Carlton’s foundation, encouraging students to view 9/11 through a wider lens. Together, they began planning an in-school 9/11 Museum last spring, carefully curating primary sources, artifacts, books, videos, and recording interviews so students could step into history from every angle. Known for her innovative collaborations that bring curriculum to life, Conley saw this as an opportunity to help students recognize how 9/11 continues to echo in their lives today.

One of the most meaningful parts of the museum is a series of podcasts that features current Greenville employees who share their personal accounts of September 11th. Some recall teaching here at Greenville on that day, while others remember being here as students. Some even recount being in New York City when the towers fell.

“The goal was to create a direct connection between this major historical event and the people they see in school every day,” Conley shared. She hopes the interviews encourage students to continue the conversation at home and urges the community to share their stories - “I don’t think people realize how valuable their memories of that day are to young people.”

Carlton drew the comparison to her own childhood, “Most of what I know about the Vietnam War didn’t come from school, it came from the stories my parents told me.” Firsthand accounts and primary sources, as students learn, are absolutely invaluable.

The museum features a self-paced design carefully chosen to honor the sensitive and emotional nature of 9/11. Students can explore at their own pace, examining artifacts loaned by the community, listening to staff podcasts, watching oral histories, and returning to digital resources whenever they wish. A sweeping timeline of September 11th stretches across the library, inviting students to walk through history and begin to grasp the scale of the day’s events.

​Middle School Principal Brian Reeve said, “Learning about 9/11 helps students understand why our world is the way it is, and why it is important to consider events from a larger perspective. It also gives students an opportunity to understand the importance of first responders, both paid and volunteer, and why people choose to step forward and help others in their communities.”

For today’s students, 9/11 exists as a chapter in their textbooks. For the adults guiding them, it remains a vivid memory that still feels like yesterday. This museum bridges generations, allowing students to hear firsthand accounts from those around them and realize that September 11th is closer to their lives than they might think. It also reveals just how deeply 9/11 reshaped the world they know.

As a U.S. Navy veteran, Conley hopes students truly grasp the weight of the event. “9/11 rewrote the definition of heroes for a whole generation of people,” she reflected.