From Surplus Supplies to Summer Science: The Story of the Mush Ohio Explorer Kit

It all started with a simple problem: a surplus of petri dishes.

Here at Mush Ohio in Hartville, we work with lab equipment every day. But as I looked at the stacks of unused dishes, swabs, and tubes, I didn't just see inventory. I saw potential. With summer just around the corner, I saw a solution to the inevitable "I'm bored!" chorus and a way to do something meaningful for our community.

What if we could turn these supplies into an adventure? What if we could give kids a chance to be real scientists and discover the magic of the unseen world all around them?

That was the spark that grew into the Mush Ohio Unseen World Explorer Kit.

More Than Just a Box of Science

From the very beginning, this project had two core missions.

First, we wanted to create something genuinely fun and engaging for kids. We didn't want to make another boring science kit that gets used once and forgotten. We wanted to create an experience. That meant providing real, high-quality lab gear (safely, of course!) and framing the experiment not as a lesson, but as a quest. We wanted kids to feel like real explorers, equipped with the tools to reveal a hidden world.

Second, and just as important, we wanted this project to give back to our community. Science education is a passion of ours, and we know that teachers are often under-resourced. So, we built a "Science for All" mission right into the project's DNA.

Building the Digital Playground

We knew a physical kit was only half the story. To make this a truly modern and engaging experience, we needed a digital hub—a place where the adventure could continue online.

That’s why we built the Explorer Portal.

Using a modern tech stack (Next.js 15, React 19, and AWS Amplify), we spun up a dedicated web app in record time. This wasn't just going to be a set of instructions; it had to be an interactive playground.

On the portal, kids (and their parents) can:

• Activate their kit with a unique code, making the experience their own.
• Track their discoveries with a digital version of the field guide.
• Upload photos of their petri dish cultures on Day 3, 5, and 7 to see their experiment come to life.
• Earn digital badges for completing milestones, turning them into decorated "Junior Scientists"!

[Placeholder for a screenshot of the app.mushoh.io portal.]

A Mission to Share Science

The Explorer Portal is also the engine for our community mission. We wanted to create a simple, direct way for our customers to help us get these kits into local classrooms.

Inside the portal, every kit owner has the power to:

1. Nominate a Teacher: They can fill out a simple form to nominate a deserving teacher or classroom. For every "X" number of kits sold, we'll be donating a full Classroom Kit to one of the nominated classes.
2. Donate a Kit: Customers can also choose to purchase a kit and have it sent directly to one of our partner schools or educational programs.

This turns a simple purchase into a vote of support for science education right here in our community. It connects our customers directly to our mission of giving back.

The Adventure Begins

This project has been a whirlwind of rapid ideation, design, and development. It's proof that you can take a simple idea, fueled by a clear purpose, and build something meaningful. It's more than just a product; it's a platform for curiosity and community.

We are so incredibly excited to finally share this with you. We can't wait to see the discoveries your young scientists make.

The adventure is just beginning.

Ready to start exploring?

• Check out the Unseen World Explorer Kits here.
• Visit the Explorer Portal to see it in action.