Imagine the excitement of not only receiving your very first computer but having the opportunity to build it yourself.

That’s exactly what 21 middle school students in grades 5 through 8 experienced during Montgomery County Community College’s PC Creation Station, a hands-on program made possible by a generous $30,000 grant from the Justamere Foundation. The grant covered the full cost of the weeklong camp, including computers, instructors and assistants, transportation, and lunch for each participant.

“We sincerely appreciate the Justamere Foundation’s grant, which enabled us to offer this valuable program to students,” said Rosann Bar, MCCC Dean of Academic Innovation. “The camp supports the College’s commitment to fostering educational pathways by engaging students in STEM projects that spark their curiosity and passion for learning.”

“This is a great opportunity for students not only to learn new skills while building a PC, but also to keep and use the computers they assembled,” said Shannon Harley, MCCC Youth Engagement Program Manager. “Having their own PC will enhance their computer literacy, support their schoolwork and provide access to digital learning tools at home.”

Held from July 7–11 at MCCC’s Pottstown Campus, the camp welcomed students from two Pottstown programs, ACLAMO and STRIVE, for a week of learning and exploration. Each day from 9 a.m. to noon, students worked on creating their own personal computers under the guidance of instructors Andy Bachman and his son, Ryan Bachman.

MCCC student workers Matthew Holland and Loujain Ahmed, along with an assistant from ACLAMO, helped the students throughout the camp.

In the afternoons, MCCC provided STEM enrichment activities, offering students an even broader view of science and technology. These included a simulated space mission at the Challenger Learning Center, interactive discovery programming, a guest lecture from Cristian Ferradas Alva, a research scientist in the Geospace Physics Laboratory at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, and even drone soccer, where students learned to fly drones while playing the game.

Each computer kit included a monitor, keyboard, mouse, tower, memory and gaming cards, Wi-Fi connector, and Windows operating system. But beyond the equipment, the students walked away with valuable new skills and a huge sense of accomplishment.

“I now know how to properly use a screwdriver. The hardest part was putting in the hard drive, but I felt very proud when it was all done,” said Riley, 14. “My favorite part was making a new friend.”

Anthony, 11, was excited to have a computer he built himself.

“It was really cool,” he said. “I felt relieved and happy that it works. I’m going to use it to play games and do my schoolwork.”

Peyton, 11, echoed the sentiment. “It was a fun learning experience. The hardest part was putting it together, so it worked.”

Lorelei, 12, who plans to use her new PC to create animations for her YouTube channel, said, “You had to be very careful assembling the parts of the motherboard. It was fun but tricky, but the teachers helped us.”

“It felt good to build all this using a screwdriver,” added Julia, 11. “I was very happy it worked without any adjustments. I’ll use it to play games, watch YouTube, and do math problems. I love math.”

To ensure a smooth experience, the Bachmans assembled a prototype PC ahead in advance, so they were familiar with the step-by-step instructions for the campers. Their combined experience made a powerful impact.

Andy Bachman taught engineering at Pottstown High School for nine years and currently teaches MCCC’s Montco 360 program, an immersive STEM program for selected eight-grade Pottstown Middle School student. Ryan Bachman recently graduated from Shippensburg University and will begin teaching 7th grade science at the Governor Mifflin School District this fall.

“This has been a valuable experience for the students in many ways—introducing them to computers and helping them learn how to follow complex instructions,” said Ryan Bachman. “It will help prepare them for high school.”

Andy Bachman noted how engaged the students were throughout the intensive process.

“The students showed a lot of maturity in their attitude,” he said. “The process involved lots of instruction and tedious tasks, but they stayed with it for three to three and a half hours a day.”

“For many of them, it was the first time they held a tool in their hands,” he added. “That was like a secondary curriculum within the program.”

Thanks to the generosity of Justamere Foundation and the dedication of the instructors and assistants, the students not only left camp with their own PC but also with renewed confidence in their abilities and a deeper interest in STEM education.