Homeland Security Today Launches National #AmericaAfter9/11 Living History Curriculum to Share the Voices That Built America’s Homeland Security Enterprise
National leaders who shaped America’s response to September 11 will teach the next generation through permanent educational program for schools, universities, civic and other organizations nationwide
Washington, D.C. — As the nation marks the 25th Anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, Homeland Security Today launched the America After 9/11 Curriculum, an unprecedented educational initiative designed to preserve the firsthand experiences of the leaders, first responders, law enforcement, public servants, policymakers, and private sector professionals who built America’s homeland security enterprise.
Designed for senior high school students, universities, civic organizations, and lifelong learners, the curriculum recognizes a profound reality: many of today’s students were not even born on September 11. They have never known a world without the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), terrorism, fusion centers, intelligence sharing, or many of the security measures that have become part of everyday life. To them, these institutions have always existed.
The curriculum addresses the “why” of the architecture built in response to 9/11 through recorded presentations by the early leaders responding to the 9/11 attacks. The program is designed to provide an enduring educational resource and help students understand not only what happened on September 11, but how the attacks transformed America and continue to influence homeland security, today.
“Twenty-five years after September 11, we are at an inflection point,” said Kristina Tanasichuk, Chair of the 9/11 Living History Project and Executive Editor of Homeland Security Today. “The architects of America’s homeland security enterprise carry institutional knowledge that cannot be found in reports or textbooks. There is an answer to every ‘Why do we do that?’—and those answers came from the lessons learned from the horrific attacks September 11. By capturing these stories directly from the leaders who built our nation’s response, we are preserving those lessons for the next generation. Understanding the ‘why’ behind our homeland security enterprise is essential to ensuring we never have to relearn those lessons the hard way.”
Serving as Vice Chair of the initiative is Kara Sidener, former Special Agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Criminal Justice I & II Teacher and Law Club Sponsor at Gainesville High School, who brings both homeland security expertise and firsthand experience educating today’s students.
Distinguished National Speakers
The curriculum features nationally recognized leaders whose work shaped America’s response to September 11 and the evolution of the homeland security enterprise over the past twenty-five years.
Chief Salvatore Cassano
Former Commissioner, New York City Fire Department (FDNY)
ON 9/11: Assistant Chief, New York City Fire Department (FDNY)
Salvatore Cassano will open the curriculum by sharing his firsthand experiences responding to the attacks at the World Trade Center on September 11. His presentation will provide an eyewitness account of the courage, sacrifice, and extraordinary challenges faced by first responders during one of the darkest days in American history.
Governor Asa Hutchinson
Former Governor of the State of Arkansas; former Congressman; former and first Undersecretary of Homeland Security for Border and Transportation Security
ON 9/11: Administrator, Drug Enforcement Agency
Asa Hutchinson will discuss how 9/11 exposed national vulnerabilities, the intelligence-sharing failures, why the 9/11 Commission was created, immediate policy changes, public fear and national unity, and the beginning of the War on Terror.
Patricia Cogswell
Former Deputy Administrator, Transportation Security Administration; former Assistant Director, U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement; former Acting Undersecretary for Intelligence & Analysis, U.S. Department of Homeland Security; former Acting Under Secretary for Policy Integration, and Special Advisor to the President, National Security Council
ON 9/11: U.S. Department of Justice
Patty Cogswell will examine how the Department of Homeland Security evolved into the nation’s coordinating agency for protecting the homeland, highlighting the continuing challenges of integrating intelligence, operations, policy, and emerging threats.
Holly Canevari
Former Deputy Administrator, Transportation Security Administration; Chief of Staff, Office of Policy, U.S. Department of Homeland Security; Senior Professional Staff,House Homeland Security Committee
ON 9/11: Government Relations Representative, United Technologies Corporation
Holly Canevari will discuss how aviation security fundamentally changed after September 11, the creation and evolution of the Transportation Security Administration, and the balance between security, efficiency, and public trust in protecting America’s transportation systems.
Robert Stephan
Former Assistant Secretary for Infrastructure Protection; Special Assistant to the Secretary of Homeland Security & Director, Secretary’s Operational Integration Staff, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
ON 9/11: Senior Director for Critical Infrastructure Protection, Executive Office of the President
Robert Stephan will discuss architecting the nation’s critical infrastructure protection plan and the development of the National Incident Management System (NIMS) and the National Response Plan (NRP), which established the Nation’s standardized, all-hazards framework for incident management.
Francis X. Taylor
Former Under Secretary of Intelligence and Analysis; U.S. Department of Homeland Security; former Assistant Secretary of Diplomatic Security, U.S. Department of State; Air Force Brigadier General (ret)
ON 9/11: United States Coordinator for Counterterrorism, U.S. State Department
Francis X. Taylor will examine how terrorism reshaped U.S. national security policy, intelligence integration, and international counterterrorism cooperation while exploring the continuing evolution of the terrorist threat.
Brock Long
Former Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA); former Director, Alabama Emergency Management Agency; former Executive Vice President, Hagery Consulting
Hurricane Program Manager, FEMA
ON 9/11: Statewide Planner/School Safety Coordinator for the Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA)
Brock Long will discuss the role of emergency management and how it transformed after September 11, the role of the National Incident Management System (NIMS), disaster preparedness, resilience, and the importance of whole-of-community planning in responding to disasters and terrorist attacks.
Dr. Kimberly O’Connor
Director, Department of Homeland Security, Arizona; former Executive Secretary, U.S. Department of Homeland Security; former Chief of Staff, U.S. Customs and Border Protection; former Senior Advisor to the Director, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
ON 9/11: Director, Division for Substance Abuse Policy, Arizona
Dr. Kimberly O’Connor will explore how homeland security extends far beyond the Department of Homeland Security itself, examining the critical roles of federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial partners; intelligence sharing and fusion centers; preparedness, prevention, protection, response, and recovery; resilience and community involvement; and the interaction of Federal, State, and Local authorities in the defense of the homeland.
Matthew Fodor
Director of Operations, National Security Division, Federal Bureau of Investigation; former Deputy Assistant Director, Counterterrorism Division, FBI Headquarters; former Section Chief, Counterterrorism Human Intelligence (HUMINT) Section, FBI Headquarters; former Assistant Section Chief, International Terrorism Operations, FBI Headquarters; Special Agent, investigating international threats and serving on the Guantanamo Bay Prosecution Task Force, FBI Field Office, Oklahoma City
On 9/11: Police Officer and Financial Crimes Investigator, Denver Police Department
Matthew Fodor will explore the evolution of America’s threat landscape, including terrorism, violent extremism, online radicalization, extremist recruitment, cyber threats, foreign adversaries, and the evolving tactics used by adversaries to influence and undermine national security. The session will also examine current terrorist activity, the importance of prevention, and the challenges these threats present to the homeland security enterprise.
Kenneth Wainstein
Former Under Secretary for Intelligence and Analysis, U.S. Department of Homeland Security; former Homeland Security Advisor to President George W. Bush; former Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism; former and First Assistant Attorney General for National Security, U.S. Department of Justice; former Chief of Staff to FBI Director Robert S. Mueller IIl, General Counsel, Federal Bureau of Investigation
ON 9/11: Acting United States Attorney for the District of Columbia
Kenneth Wainstein will discuss how the nation’s security mission evolved after September 11 from primarily investigating crimes after they occurred to preventing terrorist attacks through intelligence, partnerships, Joint Terrorism Task Forces, and information sharing. He will also explain the changes to the national security enterprise and how it was integrated into “homeland security” based on recommendations from the 9/11 commission.
Mubin Shaikh
Counter-Extremism Specialist, Parents for Peace (Parents4Peace); former Undercover Counterterrorism Operative, Canadian Intelligence Services, Integrated National Security Enforcement Team (INSET) – Toronto 18 Investigation
ON 9/11: Jihadist Extremist
Mubin Shaikh will lead a session on terrorism, violent extremism, radicalization, online recruitment, and prevention, helping the understanding of how extremist organizations evolve and how communities play a critical role in preventing violence while preserving democratic values.
Secretary Michael Chertoff
Former Secretary, U.S. Department of Homeland Security; former Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit; former Special Counsel, U.S. Senate Whitewater Committee; former United States Attorney, District of New Jersey
ON 9/11: Assistant Attorney General, Criminal Division, U.S. Department of Justice, senior DOJ official on duty at the FBI command center on 9/11
Michael Chertoff will discuss “What Should Homeland Security Look Like in the Future?” Covering the lessons learned since 9/11, the emerging threats, balancing freedom and security, and civic responsibility and informed citizenship
A Living History for Future Generations
Each presentation emphasizes critical thinking, civic responsibility, preparedness, resilience, constitutional principles, and careers in public service. Together, the sessions connect the events of September 11 with today’s homeland security enterprise while preparing viewers to understand the challenges of tomorrow.
Rather than focusing solely on remembrance, the curriculum examines the “why and what” was created to architect the mechanisms that would prevent another 9/11. It examines the creation of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, intelligence reform, aviation security, terrorism prevention, cybersecurity, resilience, and the continuing evolution of threats facing the United States.
The complete curriculum will be recorded and made available as an evergreen educational resource for educators nationwide the week of September 7-11, 2026.
Registration Information
Teachers, school districts, homeschool organizations, universities, civic organizations, museums, and youth organizations are invited to participate. The curriculum will be made available to those who sign up September 7th. Register here.
About Homeland Security Today
Homeland Security Today is the nation’s leading nonprofit information platform dedicated to informing, connecting, and strengthening the homeland security enterprise through independent practitioner insight, expert analysis, education, and collaboration. Through its editorial boards, educational initiatives, and partnerships across government, academia, industry, and the nonprofit community, Homeland Security Today advances informed dialogue and education on the nation’s most pressing security challenges.
