Youth Leading Peace: Honoring 9/11 Through Service and Action

Published On: October 8, 2025

By Syed Murtaza-Rose, NYLC Program Director, Youth as Solutions

Each September, the anniversary of 9/11 calls us to remember not only the lives lost, but also the unity, resilience, and compassion that carried communities forward. This year, young people across the country stepped into that legacy with powerful acts of service and leadership.

The National Youth Leadership Council (NYLC), in partnership with 9/11 Day and AmeriCorps, facilitated year 2 of the peacemaking cohort within the Youth as Solutions® program, with a mission to honor the September 11th National Day of Service and Remembrance. The program focuses on actively engaging youth and adult participants in activities to foster understanding, cooperation, unity and positive relationships in communities across the country. Youth and adult participants utilized the service-learning model to support leadership and skill development, delivering 10 community change projects to make a positive impact.

Launched in the spring of 2025, NYLC convened 8 organizations from 7 states, forming 10 teams, to learn about 9/11 and the themes of togetherness in the face of tragedy. Each month, youth and their mentors came together for leadership training, coaching, and reflection. They studied the historical context of 9/11, explored what peacemaking looks like today, and discovered how service can become a bridge between tragedy and hope. Along the way, they designed community projects that would not only meet real needs, but also inspire others to act.

The results of the program were truly moving, with projects ranging from providing care packages for unhoused community members to facilitating and providing education on the importance of health screenings for first responders. Terrance Hollingsworth, the adult mentor for the Focus on Diabetes-Empower Me team from Iowa shared that the team discussed how one of the major components of 9/11 was the health of survivors, with many first responders developing respiratory disease and cancer. One of their goals was to empower the community with education that will lead to routine screenings in hopes of early detection. Through health screenings and education, the team gave their neighbors the tools to take control of their well-being.

Similarly, the Global Legacy Network team of North Carolina developed a family health and wellness fair to improve mental, physical, and nutritional health outcomes. This fair empowered families to prioritize their own health while creating connections to local resources and services. Tanika Bunbury, executive director of the organization reflected on the meaningful impact their project had with the community.

“Several of the participants shared they struggled to find time for exercise or healthy eating… The chef demonstrated meal prep strategies that save time and reduce stress while the dance instructor reminded participants that exercise doesn’t require a gym membership or expensive equipment—dancing, walking, or using everyday household items can be effective. This shift in perspective encouraged participants to see health and wellness as both achievable and sustainable in their daily lives.”

Participation and leadership in the projects were instrumental not only in creating change for the community but also fostering civic responsibility and personal growth for the youth leaders. From addressing issues like hunger relief and literacy to building an understanding of responsible citizenship through civic engagement, youth took the lead on projects, with the program supporting a deeper understanding of service in the context of 9/11 day.

Other teams used art and culture as their canvas for peacebuilding. Students from the Afro-Caribbean Cultural Center enjoyed creating cultural connections by painting Taino symbols painted on planter boxes, and creating stories and poems that reframe how we remember 9/11 as a part of American history and culture. The team spent the week of 9/11 restoring flowerboxes, painting symbols and stories rooted in Afro-Indigeneity to highlight the overwhelming lack of education on POC stories in traditional education spaces, “to plant peace, resistancy, and memory in the soil of our community through storytelling gardens designed by youth—honoring our Afro-Caribbean identities, healing through justice and restoring power to the people,” shared adult mentor Angel Rodriguez.

From Spartanburg, South Carolina, to Patuxent, Maryland, youth took action on issues that mattered most to their communities: hunger relief, literacy, cultural connection, and wellness. Every project was rooted in a belief that young people are not just future leaders, they are leaders right now.

For the students, the work went far beyond the projects themselves. They gained skills in leadership, collaboration, and civic engagement, learning the power of mentorship and community-building. They learned how to identify community needs, how to build partnerships, and how to see themselves as changemakers in the legacy of 9/11. By equipping both youth and adult mentors with the tools and guidance to discover and innovate, this program focuses on sustainability of action beyond a project’s completion.

As the second year of the Peacemaking Cohort comes to a close, the impact is clear. Lives were touched, communities strengthened, and youth empowered. And the seeds planted—in garden beds, in health fairs, in acts of service—will continue to grow.

Together, NYLC, 9/11 Day, and AmeriCorps remain committed to empowering more young leaders to take meaningful action in their communities. The success of the partnership is a testament to the power of service-learning in youth leadership and civic engagement.

Thank you to the participating teams: