From New York to NASA: Discovering innovation in the USA

During the Term 3 holiday break, a group of lucky Abbotsleigh students embarked on an unforgettable educational adventure across the East Coast of the United States – from the bustling streets of New York City to the cutting-edge world of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The tour offered an extraordinary mix of art, culture, design and science, giving students a firsthand look at some of the world’s most iconic landmarks and innovative learning environments.

Exploring Art, Design and History in New York City

After a long journey from Sydney via San Francisco, the group arrived in the city that never sleeps and quickly immersed themselves in its vibrant energy. Their first full day was spent in New York’s famous Garment District, where they toured M&S Schmalberg – a third-generation family business that handcrafts exquisite flowers for film, television and fashion. Students even had the chance to design and create their own fabric blooms. Later, at the Museum of Arts and Design, the girls explored contemporary exhibitions and created abstract jewellery pieces from unconventional materials.

The artistic inspiration continued at the Museum of Modern Art, where students stood before masterpieces by van Gogh, Picasso and Warhol. From there, they explored the Intrepid Museum, located on a World War II aircraft carrier, and ventured through the USS Growler submarine – an experience that offered a fascinating glimpse into naval life. That evening, they enjoyed a Broadway performance of Wicked, a true New York highlight.

Over the next few days, the group saw the city from new perspectives – cruising around Manhattan to admire landmarks like the Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building and Brooklyn Bridge, before visiting the deeply moving 9/11 Memorial Museum. The following day brought more learning and discovery at the American Museum of Natural History and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where students explored art and artefacts spanning centuries and cultures.

Their final day in New York included a breakfast in Times Square, a wander through Chelsea Market and a movie-themed bus tour featuring famous filming locations from Ghostbusters, Friends and The Avengers. A surprise detour past Taylor Swift’s apartment and a chance meeting with professional tennis player Naomi Johnson made for a memorable farewell to the Big Apple.

Mission: Space – Learning at NASA Kennedy Space Center

From New York, the group then travelled to Florida to experience the wonders of space exploration at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. Over three days, students participated in the Space Camp program, which blended real-world science with hands-on learning.

They began with a guided tour of the Space Center, visiting historic launchpads and viewing the enormous Vehicle Assembly Building – still in use for NASA’s Artemis missions. Standing beneath the Saturn V rocket and the Atlantis Space Shuttle, students learned about the evolution of human space travel and heard from astronaut Robert Cenker about his experiences aboard the shuttle.

The following days saw students take on the roles of astronauts, engineers and mission controllers through a range of immersive activities. They grew microgreens in a Mars botany simulation, operated robotic rovers, and learned how power and resources are managed on a space station. A talk by decorated Space Force officer Colonel Susie Dabrowski provided inspiration and insight into women’s growing roles in STEM and aerospace industries.

Their final day at NASA featured astronaut training simulations, including a Mars VR experience, a microgravity challenge and a rocket launch exercise – all designed to demonstrate the teamwork, precision and endurance required in space exploration. The experience ended on a fun note with an evening of mini golf and alligator spotting at Golf N Gator!

Wrapping Up in Orlando

Before returning home, the students enjoyed some lighter adventures in Orlando, visiting WonderWorks and Universal Studios – the perfect way to round out a packed experience in the US.

From the creativity of New York’s art and fashion scene to the innovation of NASA’s Space Camp, the USA tour was an unforgettable experience for all involved.