Travelers across the United States and globe are coming to visit the 9/11 Memorial Preview Site, 20 Vesey St.

“It’s part of the New York story and the world story,” said Arturo Cuenca speaking on the events of Sept. 11.  Cuenca, from Spain's Basque Country, stopped by the site June 15 during his first visit to New York City.

The Preview Site was established to show the public the plans and progress of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum currently being built at the World Trade Center site.

Pam Henry, a kindergarten teacher at the time of the Sept. 11 events, came to visit the Preview Site for her first time.  A current resident of Austin, Texas, she lived in New York City years before 9/11. “Having lived here, I felt some connection . . . this could be an important part of the healing process," she said.For some visitors, the Preview Site is a saddening reminder.“I look at the pictures, and I’m finished,” said Klaus Lachner, on holiday from his home country Germany.  He described his emotions in one word, saying he felt “down.”Andrew Graham, a resident of Queensland, Australia, has been living in New York City with his wife for 18 months.  He came to the site because “it was bringing it home.”  He said the events of Sept. 11 “could happen anywhere . . . I felt sorry for Americans.”At the Preview Site, people can view real time images of the construction and participate in the creation of the 9/11 Memorial Museum by sharing their own Sept. 11 stories.

By Meghan Walsh, Communications Associate with the 9/11 Memorial

The National September 11 Memorial & Museum continues to be a candidate for funding from American Express through the Members Project, a partnership between American Express and TakePart to help people everywhere support charitable organizations.

Help make us one of five charities that will share a total of $1,000,000 in funding from American Express. The funding will help us better fulfill our mission, and it takes just a mouse-click each week to help us win this vital support to build a national tribute to the thousands lost after Sept. 11.

If you haven’t already, all you have to do is join Members Project, and cast a vote for us each week. After the three-month voting period is complete, Members Project will tally the votes and announce the winners for the voting round. Help us be a part of that list.  To join Members Project and to cast your votes, click here.

You can also help us in other ways. Get involved with us by volunteering or making a donation through Members Project. Your time and contribution can make a big impact. Everyone can make a difference. It takes just a small step to begin.

By Meghan Walsh, Communications Associate with the 9/11 Memorial

Chief Curator Jan Ramirez is immersed in the Sept. 11  aftermath, the personal stories of courage, loss & resilience,  the intimate memories of 2,982 victims she never knew personally, and the countless artifacts, images and recorded sounds that define this transformative day and the  post-9/11 existence.

Ramirez came to her position at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in spring, 2006, with extensive experience working on 9/11-related projects. At the New York Historical Society, where she was vice president and director of the museum, she and her colleagues mounted an ambitious series of interpretive exhibits, public programs and collecting initiatives in the wake of the terrorist attacks known as “History Responds.”

In 2004, she was appointed to serve as a resource member of the WTC Memorial Center Advisory Committee convened by the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, or LMDC, which spearheaded the drafting of a educational and content mission for a museum interpretive center complementing the 9/11 Memorial at the WTC site. She also participated in the Professional Services Committee of the September’s Mission educational web site project - that matured into the Living Memorial archive overseen by the Voices of September 11th - and served as a curatorial consultant for the documentary film "Objects & Memory," which explores museums and their response to 9/11.

As an independent museum consultant, she has worked on a variety of interpretive, collections development, and long range planning projects for a range of clients. Prior to her positions at the 9/11 Memorial & Museum and the New York Historical Society, she formerly served as Deputy Director & Chief Curator at the Museum of the City of New York, Chief Curator at the Hudson River Museum of Westchester, and as a Research Associate at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. She holds a Ph.D and M.A. in American Studies from Boston University and a B.A in English Literature from Dartmouth College.

Because of her unique expertise, Ramirez has been interviewed in several news stories related to the 9/11 disaster.

By Michael Frazier, Sr. Communications Manager for the 9/11 Memorial

According to the Associated Press, Queen Elizabeth II is scheduled to visit the former World Trade Center site July 6 as part of her upcoming North American tour to pay tribute to the 2,982 lives lost on 9/11, including the 67 British victims.

This will be the queen’s first visit to the site, also known as Ground Zero and the site of the 9/11 Memorial, which will open September 11, 2011.  The queen's visit comes on the same day she will address the United Nations.  The queen will be accompanied by her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh. 

The queen’s son, Prince Charles, and his wife, Camilla, visited Ground Zero in 2005.  Prince Harry, the son of Prince Charles, visited last year and laid a wreath on the site during a charity event.

The queen’s visit to New York will follow a weeklong tour of Canada, and it will be her first trip to New York since 1976.

By Meghan Walsh, Communications Associate for the 9/11 Memorial

The 9/11 Memorial introduces David Rohde, a two-time Pulitzer prize winning reporter, as its fourth speaker for the “9/11, Today and Tomorrow” series at the 9/11 Memorial Preview Site, 20 Vesey St.

Last month, a counterterrorism expert discussed the deadly inner workings of al-Qaeda.

David Rohde (pronounced Road) is a reporter for the New York Times who has covered events in Afghanistan, Iraq and other countries.  From November 2008 to June 2009, he was held captive by the Taliban along with two Afghan colleagues before escaping.  He authored the upcoming book "A Rope and A Prayer: The Story of a Kidnapping" and was recently awarded the 2009 George Polk Award for foreign reporting.

The 9/11, Today and Tomorrow series is a dynamic new public program featuring speakers who explore issues relevant to 9/11 and its continuing impact on the world in which we live.

“Escaping the Taliban” with David Rohde will take place Wednesday, June 23 at 6:30 p.m.  Doors open at 6 p.m.

Due to space limitations, RSVP is recommended to guarantee a seat up to 10 minutes after programming begins. When space is available, admission will be granted on a first-come, first-served basis on the evening of the program. Please call 212-312-8809 or online at www.national911memorial.org/events.   A suggested donation of $10 per person will help support ongoing programming.

By Meghan Walsh, Communications Associate for the 9/11 Memorial

Vote for the 9/11 Memorial to receive $200,000 through TakePart’s Members Project.

American Express and TakePart, a social action network, have joined together to help drive citizen engagement and social action.  Through its Members Project, you can look at today’s issues and decide how to take action by voting for your favorite non-profit organizations.

The 9/11 Memorial is competing against more than 50 organizations involved with art & culture, community development, education, environment & wildlife, and health & wellness.

You can take action now by logging on here and selecting the 9/11 Memorial.  Anyone can vote and votes can be cast once per week.

Help the 9/11 Memorial by voting for this $200,000 grant.

By Meghan Walsh, Communications Associate with the 9/11 Memorial

A church in Vernon, N.J., will soon join dozens of other communities across the country by building a memorial to victims of the Sept. 11 attacks with a piece of World Trade Center steel serving as the centerpiece.

The national 9/11 Memorial will open next year at the World Trade Center.

According to a report on New Jersey.com, Rev. John Boland, the pastor of St. Francis De Sales Church, said: "People should be remembered. They are part of who we are and will always influence us."

St. Francis lost two of its parishioners on 9/11, Boland told New Jersey.com. The steel that will be used for the church's memorial is about 4 feet by 2 feet and has crosses cut into it.  The crosses, which were cut out by firemen, were presented to various victims' families, according to the report.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which is building the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, is seeking proposals from public and city agencies and not-for-profit groups interested in acquiring a piece of 9/11 World Trade Center steel for public display. Tons and tons of WTC steel are being stored at a JFK airport hangar and  pieces of the steel are being shipped nationwide.

By Michael Frazier, Sr. Communications Manager for the 9/11 Memorial

It's no bigger than a playing card when folded.

But open the "Walk and Remember" self-guided walking tour map and a find a path leading to rich history and iconic  local landmarks related to Sept. 11th.

The commemorative walking tour is available only at the 9/11 Memorial Preview Site, 20 Vesey St., in Manhattan. It's $3.95 and all proceeds go to help build and sustain the National September 11 Memorial & Museum under construction at the World Trade Center site.

The easy-to-follow guide takes you to points of interest like the 9/11 Memorial Preview Site, where you can start your journey.

Not far from the Preview Site, take a walk over to the rebuilt 7 World Trade Center building,  250 Greenwich St. The original 7 WTC skyscraper was the last building to fall on 9/11 and the first to be rebuilt, opening in 2006.  In the park in front of 7 WTC, find the “Balloon Flower (Red)” sculpture by artist Jeff Koons. Nearby, check out the cross-shaped steel beam at Church Street between Vesey and Barclay streets. The so-called WTC Cross was found amid the rubble of the WTC site two days after 9/11. When recovered, it became a symbol of hope, faith and healing for many rescue and recovery workers searching for human remains.

Along the tour route, there is also St. Paul’s Chapel and the Bell of Hope, both at 209 Broadway; the Trinity Root, Broadway and Wall Street; The Koenig’s Sphere at Battery Place in Battery Park;  The Tribute WTC Visitor Center, 120 Liberty St., and more. This walking tour will provide a gateway to remembrance as well as show the rebirth of an important community.

Visit the Preview Site today and pick up your tour map. Thanks for your support.

By Michael Frazier,  Sr. Communications Manager for the 9/11 Memorial

VOICES of September 11th conducts workshops throughout the year to assist victims' family members in the process of creating a tribute to their loved ones. Workshops are scheduled during the month of June in the VOICES offices in New Brunswick, New Jersey and New Canaan, CT as well as a number of locations in the tri-state area.

The 9/11 Living Memorial is an important resource for the planned memorial exhibition to honor the nearly 3,000 lives lost. “VOICES partnership with the National September 11 Memorial & Museum will ensure that the lives and the stories of those we lost are told by the families in a meaningful way.” VOICES Founding Director Mary Fetchet said.

Visit the 9/11 Living Memorial at www.911livingmemorial.org for a full schedule of events. Learn more or schedule an appointment.

By the 9/11 Memorial staff

In case you missed it. The National September 11 Memorial & Museum and Google Inc. partnered to produce a stunning third-dimensional landscape featuring the 9/11 Memorial.  The Memorial, which will open next year, can be explored through Google Earth.

Google Earth allows online users to  pan over the tree-filled plaza, flying through a canopy that will shade an eight-acre public park space. They can peek through windows of the museum pavilion and see two seven-story-steel “tridents” that will greet future visitors entering the 9/11 Memorial Museum. Use your mouse to zoom in and see  the intricate detail of each cobblestone along the memorial plaza or pull away and hover over the entire World Trade Center site and lower Manhattan .

Enjoy the above video created by the Google team for the 9/11 Memorial.

By Michael Frazier, Sr. Communications Manager for the 9/11 Memorial