11, World Trade Center Plaza was home to a daycare. This is its story.

Key Points:

• On September 11, 2001, the Children’s Discovery Center daycare in Building 5 of the World Trade Center was in the midst of morning drop-off when Flight 11 struck the north tower, causing severe damage and chaos nearby.
• Teachers Tara Jones and Onica Sarjeant quickly mobilized to evacuate the children, relying on emergency drills practiced since the 1993 WTC bombing, and led the kids to safety despite intense fear and destruction around them.
• Sarjeant and her group traveled over three miles seeking refuge, aided by strangers, while Jones’ group fled north, narrowly escaping the collapse of the south tower and eventually finding shelter in hospitals and churches.
• Parents faced confusion about their children’s whereabouts due to conflicting hospital reports, but ultimately all 28 children were safely reunited with their families, many of whom also survived despite working in the towers.
• Both Jones and Sarjeant endured long-term trauma and financial hardship after the attacks but have since returned to teaching, with parents recognizing their actions as life-saving rather than merely heroic.