Ms Robson (37) has been teaching art and photography at Otago Girls High School for the past 10 years and was selected as this year's winner of the school's Highgate Scholarship.
She planned to spend a month in New York visiting galleries such as George Eastman House (named after the founder of Kodak) and art schools such as the Fiorello H.
LaGuardia High School of Music and Art (featured in the 1980s TV show Fame).
Ms Robson would also spend a week working with photographer France Scully-Osterman, looking at 19th century photographic processes like salt prints, hand-applied emulsions and collotype prints.
"It's about going and doing something that will foster my interest in photography as well as bring something back for my classes. I'm keen to retain some of those old processes and keep some of the hands-on involvement in the photo-making process.
"It would be good to be able to retain some of the old darkroom processes and combine them with newer digital technologies."
Ms Robson said she would leave for New York tomorrow and was excited about the trip.
It felt like she had won Lotto when she was awarded the scholarship, she said.
"I'm absolutely rapt. It will be good to immerse myself in the art world again after 10 years in the classroom, and get reinvigorated about my job.
"I'm looking forward to coming back and sharing some of my new-found knowledge."
