The Brooklyn Bridge stretches across the East River and the buildings of lower Manhattan appear behind it. The bridge and the buildings are lit up at dusk. Stretching beyond the frame are twin beams of light at the center, approximating the location of the original Twin Towers.
Photo by Jin S. Lee

The Next Generation Remembers: Our Visionary Network

The 9/11 Memorial & Museum Visionary Network brings people between the ages of 21 and 45 together through acts of advocacy, commemoration, and engagement to deepen their connection to the 9/11 Memorial & Museum and ensure that their generation and future generations remember 9/11 and its aftermath. Join today!

Watch a short video about how our Visionaries are inspiring service in others — and what inspires them. 

Echoes of Service

echoes-of-service

2024 Visionary Highlights

  • Four adult Visionaries wearing 9/11 5k t-shirts link arms and smile. One Visionary is holding a toddler.
  • A Visionary gives a speech at a podium at the 9/11 5K run/walk
  • Four Visionaries wearing name tags and business casual clothing linking arms and smiling.
  • A Visionary poses with an older person wearing a suit and a medallion.
  • A large group of Visionaries and FDNY officers sit around a conference table
  • A large group of Visionaries stand together and smile
  • A Visionary smiles while holding a gardening shovel near a tree
  • 4 Visionaries are seated at small tables talking
  • Six Visionaries link arms and smile
  • Five Visionaries in red Bowery Mission aprons pose together in a kitchen
  • A large group of Visionaries stands together smiling
  • A group of Visionaries poses together at an outdoor cocktail party

Top, from left: 5K finish line; 5K Visionary Chair Rob Perretta at the starting line; End of year toast.  Row 2, from left: Visionary Sean Egan welcomes the Mayor of County Kerry Council; Coffee & Conversation in recognition of Women's History Month; Coffee & Conversations hosts authors and discusses processing grief. Row 3, from left: Memorial Beautification at the Postcards Memorial on Staten Island; Legacy of Service with Lila Nordstrom, Alex Zablocki, and Cait Leavey; Coffee & Conversations with Pat Tillman Scholars in recognition of Veterans Day. Row 4, from left: Dinner service at the Bowery Mission; Coffee & Conversations with Assemblymember Charles Fall; Summer networking with Answer the Call. 

Upcoming Visionary Events

Volunteer Opportunities: The Bowery Mission
Tuesday, March 11 & Monday, April 21 at 5 p.m.
Join us as we volunteer at the Bowery Mission's Tribeca Campus & Kitchen (90 Lafayette Street). Please RSVP by March 5 or April 16 respectively to visionary@911memorial.org.

Coffee & Conversations: Building Community Through Service 
Thursday, April 3 at 8:00 a.m. 
Kick off National Volunteer Month with an inspiring discussion featuring Jay Winuk and Karl Chan as they share what fuels their commitment to service. Jay Winuk is the co-founder and executive vice president of 9/11 Day, the nonprofit behind the annual September 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance. Karl Chan serves as Chief Development Officer at The Bowery Mission, a vital community partner that provided over 400,000 meals and 65,000 nights of shelter to neighbors in crisis last year. To RSVP, email visionary@911memorial.org.

This program is supported by 9/11 Day and AmeriCorps.

The 13th Annual 9/11 Memorial & Museum 5K, Presented by RXR
Sunday, April 27 at 8 a.m.
Run or walk this three-mile race route, following the path first responders and rescue and recovery workers took to access Ground Zero in the aftermath of the attacks. Raising money for our education programs, this race remembers those killed on 9/11 and honors the service of those who bravely stepped in to help our city recover and rebuild.  Register and join the Visionary team!

Visionary Leadership Council

The Visionary Network was founded in 2020 by a group of individuals dedicated to preserving the memory of their loved ones and honoring the commitment to never forget. Meet the council.

Visionary

John Paluska

Visionary Voices

Stories of Hope: A Proud New Yorker
“My experience on September 11, 2001 gave me a new perspective on life,” says Alex Zablocki. “And it showed me that there are so many people in this city willing to risk everything and do everything for someone else because it is who we are. It’s in our DNA.” 

Stories of Hope: The Power of Unity and Resilience
On September 11, 2001, Carlton Shelley II was a student at Emma E. Booker Elementary School in Sarasota, Florida. That day, President George W. Bush was visiting another class of students at the school when he was informed of the attacks.

Visionaries in Service: Shane Oravsky
Shane Oravsky shares his unique perspective on the relationship between the 9/11 attacks and military service - and lessons learned from both. 

Visionary Network Launches Memorial Beautification Initiative
The 9/11 Memorial & Museum Visionary Network has launched an initiative aimed at restoring and cleaning local memorials across the country. Volunteers are already hard at work, planting commemorative trees and connecting with their communities ahead of the 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. 

Visionaries in Service

Our Visionaries are a diverse group from a breadth of backgrounds, including a number who were drawn to serve in the United States military. Meet our Visionaries in Service!

Join the Visionary Network today!

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