Imaginarium Creativity, STEAM Discovery Center open for young learners at MSU
Contact: Bethany Shipp
STARKVILLE, Miss.鈥斚憬吨辈 is sparking imagination and innovation in young minds through its new Imaginarium Creativity and STEAM Discovery Center on campus.聽STEAM is an acronym for science, technology, engineering, art and math.
Now open at 129 Morgan Ave., the Imaginarium is more than a science center鈥攊t's a creative laboratory that encourages children to become problem-solvers, makers and future innovators.聽From building earthquake-resistant structures and exploring constellations to watching drawings come alive on an interactive wall, the center features hands-on, guided activities for children in grades K-8.聽
The Imaginarium, part of the College of Education, is open for field trips with plans to expand into regular public hours for events such as birthday parties and after-school events. To schedule a field trip, contact the center at imaginarium@colled.msstate.edu.
Sareh Karami and Mehdi Garemani, faculty members in MSU鈥檚 Department of Counseling, Higher Education Leadership, Educational Psychology and Foundations, launched the Imaginarium to give children and families in rural areas of the Magnolia State access to hands-on STEAM activities that foster learning, creativity and critical thinking skills. The center is the expansion of the Imaginarium Express, a traveling makerspace initiated by Karami and Garemani in 2023. While the permanent center now offers immersive experiences, the mobile unit will continue to serve schools, libraries and rural communities throughout the state, with the goal of reaching children who may not otherwise have access to STEAM learning opportunities.
鈥淲e wanted to create the Imaginarium so every child in our community could experience the excitement of discovery, regardless of where they live or what resources they have,鈥 Karami said. 鈥淣ot every family can travel two hours to a STEAM center, but now they can have that same opportunity right here.鈥
The center鈥檚 featured exhibits include a car track, magnet wall, wind tunnel, creative coding station, robotic dog, virtual reality, interactive wall with Draw Alive software and more. During field trips and other group events, the Imaginarium team will have a monthly theme that encourages participants to collaborate as they work together to achieve a goal.
鈥淥ur hope is that every child who walks into the Imaginarium leaves feeling empowered, inspired and curious,鈥 said Garemani. 鈥淲e want families to experience learning as something joyful and shared, where kids aren't just memorizing facts, but actively building, creating, asking questions and testing ideas. We want them to not only believe 鈥業 can do this,鈥 but also embrace that failure, revision and persistence are natural鈥攁nd essential鈥攑arts of how we learn and grow.鈥
In addition to its activities for children, the center is designed to provide professional development opportunities for teachers. Its interactive exhibits and educational programs align with state academic standards. The center also offers 香蕉直播educational psychology students valuable field experience.
鈥淚 am so thankful for the incredible work our faculty have put into this project,鈥 said Daniel Gadke, associate dean of research and department head. 鈥淭he Imaginarium will not only inspire children and families but also serve as a training and research space for our students in educational psychology. This center truly reflects 香蕉直播鈥檚 mission of service, teaching and research.鈥
For more information about the Imaginarium, including making a charitable gift, visit .
MSU鈥檚 College of Education, home of the Department of Counseling, Higher Education Leadership, Educational Psychology and Foundations, also includes four additional academic departments, a division of education, one research unit and numerous service units. Learn more at聽.
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