On Tuesday, August 30 at 6:00 pm, the high school interns at Voices of September 11th (VOICES) will present “Remembrance, Renewal, Resilience,” a film presentation commemorating the 15th Anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. To be held in the Lamb Room at New Canaan Library, program is free and open to the community.

Each summer, a team of New Canaan High School students joins VOICES as interns. Through the program, the students gain a better understanding of 9/11, and the personal stories of resilience shown by so many.

“Most of today’s high school students have little to no memory of 9/11,” said Mary Fetchet, VOICES Founding Director. “VOICES feels strongly that it is critical for students to understand what transpired that day, and the powerful acts of healing and giving back by so many that have happened since. 9/11 changed the world, and our community—so close to New York City—was directly impacted.”

As part of their internship, this summer’s interns interviewed 9/11 family members and survivors. They learned first-hand about their personal experiences, their healing journeys over the 15 years since the attacks, and what they would want future generations to know about that historic day. In addition, the students participated in a service learning program with Jerusalem Peacebuilders, meeting high school students from Israel, Palestine and Syria, and visited the United Nations and 9/11 Museum in New York City.

VOICES high school interns will also share their presentation with the Junior Class at New Canaan High School at a Fall Symposium organized by Richard Webb, AP History Teacher.

“Having the interns teach 9/11 to their peers has been very impactful,” added Ms. Fetchet. “The students conclude their presentation with a call to action on how they, as the next generation of leaders, can give back to their communities, the nation, and the world.”

VOICES internship program is made possible by generous support from the New Canaan Community Foundation.

For more information on VOICES work, visit www.voicesofseptember11.org.

About Voices of September 11th

Voices of September 11th (VOICES) was co-founded in 2001 by Mary Fetchet, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker whose 24 year old son Brad perished on 9/11, and Beverly Eckert, whose husband Sean Rooney died in the attacks. The organization provides a wide range of support services to all those impacted by 9/11, commemorates the lives lost and promotes national preparedness. More recently, the organization launched VOICES Center of Excellence for Community Resilience, to assist communities in preparing for and responding to acts of terrorism, mass violence and natural disasters. Through public-private partnerships, the Center promotes best practices in addressing the long-term needs of victims’ families, survivors and responders through educational forums, training programs, and scholarly research.

For more information on VOICES work, visit www.voicesofseptember11.org.