BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — Every elementary school field trip teaches students something new. Friday, Sept. 11, 2026, was no different.

It can be tough to teach 10-year-olds about the complete shock of that day. However, that is the job Ronald Reagan Elementary’s Ms. Paulk, and thousands more across the nation, are tasked with each September.

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“I think it’s cool that my students never experienced this,” said Paulk, a fifth grade teacher. “It’s cool that they can see what we all went through during this time.”

For students like fifth-grader Lauren Black, it is a reminder of the promise to protect that first responders make on a daily basis.

“It’s very fun to learn about the history,” Black said. “It’s very great to know that there’s good people in America who actually saved other people’s lives while risking their own.”

They may be 10 years old today, but in another 25 years, these students will be the teachers.
They will be the first responders, and the men and women telling the tragic story to the next generation of children.

Or maybe, they will be the faces and voices that break the news, when disaster strikes. Little Lauren shared what she wants to be one day.

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“Be like you, basically.”

Because of ceremonies like this, Lauren and her classmates all know the significance of that infamous day. One day, it might be little Lauren’s job to stand in front of a camera, helping the public remember the anniversary.

“To the young people here today, you may not remember 9/11, but you can carry its memory forward,” said Congressman Vince Fong. “In fact, all of us have that solemn responsibility. Tell the story. Remember the sacrifice. Honor those who served. Because ‘never forget’ is not just a phrase, it is a promise.”

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