New York, New York - Nearly 25 years have passed since the era-defining attacks on September 11, 2001, and the US is eager to keep that traumatic memory alive and in younger generations.
"Many in my generation remember exactly where we were on that horrific day" in 2001, said 59-year-old Beth Hillman, who serves as president of the 9/11 Memorial & Museum and is a US Air Force veteran.
Yet today, "100 million Americans were not even born or are too young to remember," Hillman pointed out.
After placing major emphasis on the duty to remember, her institution is now focusing on outreach, education, and engaging with younger generations.
"Even if you were alive but not here or have a connection, it's a lot easier to understand the magnitude of what took place," Logan Miller, a 32-year-old who lost an uncle and a grandfather as a result of the attacks, told AFP.
Making sense of 9/11 is "a little tougher for that next generation," he added.
Miller is one of many volunteers sharing their experiences at the museum or through video clips.
Young people are "more inquisitive" and ask more questions than their elders, who Miller said sometimes hesitate to challenge him for fear of causing offense.
"I wasn't born at the time and yet it was important for me to be here, to do this trip," said 22-year-old Ignacio Gaete, a Chilean visiting the museum and memorial featuring two large recessed pools within the footprints of the Twin Towers.
Gaete said that while young people don't have visceral memories of 9/11 like his father does, "I think it can transcend generations."
But that transcendence requires preservation and education, according to Holly Kafka, visiting Manhattan from Chicago with her husband.
"Our younger generation… they're always in this little rat race, keeping up with social media," the 61-year-old said. "We have to stop them and say, 'Come here and experience it.'"