In regular visits to the field centers, NEW participants have access to areas where the general public is not allowed. Each center offers its own unique projects based on the facilities available. They test aerodynamic packaging they have designed in teams to see if their eggs can survive the fall. At the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, educators take a look at the Hubble Control Room and simulate the launch of a Pegasus rocket at the rocket facility. While learning about rocketry, they also perform a launch activity with a water rocket made from a two-liter plastic bottle.
NEW participants develop lasting relationships with the scientists they meet.
Some past participants have called on NASA scientists for materials for their classrooms or have arranged classroom activities with input from NASA engineers. In the summer of 1999, six of the NASA field centers also began offering NEW workshops for invited teams of educators involved with urban and rural systemic initiative programs. These workshops provide educational opportunities for inservice program staff and professional development providers of regional or state-based initiatives. Informal educator workshops were offered at two of the Field Centers. Teachers who have participated in NEW are encouraged to conduct outreach programs in their communities.