Kiski Area students experience 9/11 history with Flight 93 Memorial visit

Kiski Area Upper Elementary sixth graders are experiencing a field trip to a sacred field this week.

Almost 300 students are visiting the Flight 93 National Memorial on three days, in three groups, in Shanksville.

“For those that remember 9/11, it’s living history. But for the kids, it’s history,” Kiski Area Assistant Principal Dan Smith said. “How do you pass along things that had such a fundamental impact to the world they are living in?”

Kiski Area social studies teacher Rebekah Stankowski applied for a grant from The Friends of Flight 93 National Memorial to support the field trip. She expressed gratitude for the $3,000 grant to cover transportation costs.

The nonprofit, founded in 2009, describes its mission as “sharing the Flight 93 story and educating the next generation about the events of Sept. 11, 2001.” The group matches the transportation grant with educational programming geared to various grade levels.

The students received a personalized tour by Flight 93 educational specialist Gregory Zaborowski.

“His knowledge about the eyewitnesses and events of 9/11 really made the day more meaningful for the students,” Stankowski said.

Laya Kardos, 12, said she felt a lot of emotions touring the memorial.

“I learned they only recovered 8% of the remains there,” she said. “It’s upsetting. There are still remains left in the field.”

Draeden Orr, 11, said his favorite part was “the huge chime thing,” referring to the 100-foot-tall Tower of Voices structure. “It has 40 chimes in it to represent the 40 people that died on the plane.”

Smith, the assistant principal, said the Flight 93 field trip was a first for his school, and he is hopeful it will become an annual outing.

Payton Smith, 11, said listening to the recorded voices from some of the passengers who lost their lives that day was difficult.

“It was a good experience,” Payton said, “but it was also sad to see everything, and the voices were sad. They were all crying and stuff.”