Families to have opportunity to explore Idea Shop Saturday

Some free educational activities for children will take place at the Idea Shop downtown on Saturday.

From 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, families will have an opportunity to check out the Idea Shop, which has undergone some recent improvements. Rolled ice cream will also be available from Get Rolled, with the first 50 ice creams being free.

“We’re just trying to have an event to get some kids in and do a fun little activity, you know, crafty, sciencey, and we’re going to have an ice cream truck there,” said Mississippi State University College of Business Director of Outreach Jeffrey Rupp.

He said the Idea shop had been changed slightly since prior to the COVID-19 pandemic aiming it more toward children and teenagers.

“It’s more of a fun space now for kids to come in and pick out something and put it in the 3D printer themselves, really just trying to do an activity to get them to the E-center and explore their creativity and eat ice cream,” Rupp said. “That’s always what you want to do.”

Rupp said he was “really excited” that the Idea shop was moving closer to reopening.

“We think that this new direction is going to be really

good for the community,” Rupp said. “It’s going to further our mission of trying to spur creativity in young people, and they’re going to have a lot of options on stuff to do.”

He said there had been kid-focused activities added to the Idea Shop.

“We’re trying to make it kid-friendly, just to get them interested in STEM activities at an earlier age,” Rupp said.

However, he said the more advanced equipment would still remain for those who needed it.

“We’re talking to the schools,” Rupp said. “We’re trying to do stuff with the schools,” Rupp said.

The Idea Shop is part of the MSU College of Business Center for Entrepreneurship and Outreach (E-center,) which focuses on helping MSU students and those in the community and state develop their ideas and launch companies of all sizes.