Hands-on learning powers success at MCCC's PC Build Summer Camp

Guided by knowledgeable instructors and equipped with professional toolkits, 20 middle-school students from Pottstown and Norristown took on the challenge of building their own computers at Montgomery County Community College’s PC Build Summer Camp.

The two-week immersive STEM camp experience was made possible by a generous $50,000 grant from the Justamere Foundation. The grant covered the full cost of the camp, including computers, STEM-related enrichment activities, instructors and assistants, student transportation, and lunch and snacks. This is the second year of support from the Justamere Foundation, enabling the program to expand from one week to two and provide students with a deeper, more comprehensive STEM learning experience.

The highlight of the camp for students was the opportunity to keep the computers and related equipment, valued at approximately $1,500 each. For many participants, the camp provided access to a personal computer for the first time, helping to bridge technology gaps and expand learning at home.

“We are deeply grateful to the Justamere Foundation for its significant support, which made this valuable summer experience possible for participating students,” said Dr. Rosann Bar, MCCC Dean of Academic Innovation. “The camp reflects the College’s commitment to fostering academic and career exploration through hands-on learning experiences that build confidence and inspire a lifelong passion for learning.”

“The camp challenged students to think critically and solve problems as they worked through the process of building a PC,” said Navid Ghanadan, MCCC Youth Engagement Program Manager. “Along the way, they learned how to work collaboratively, helping each other, while learning and tackling some complex tasks. By taking home the computers they assembled, they have both a sense of accomplishment and a valuable tool that will help them continue to explore and learn.”

Held from June 29 through July 10 at MCCC’s Pottstown Campus, the camp combined the guided PC-building sessions together with a variety of discovery activities. Students participated in a simulated space mission at the Challenger Learning Center at Montco Pottstown, tackled decoding challenges, explored aviation and drone soccer, learned to fly an airplane using a VR flight simulator, attended a Science on a Sphere program, learned about forensic science with the Pottstown Police Department, conducted environmental science experiments, and finished the camp with a kayaking adventure on the nearby Schuylkill River through Take It Outdoor Adventures.

The camp instructors were Ryan Bachman and Adam Ricketts, both teachers at Governor Mifflin School District, along with Navid Ghanadan, MCCC Youth Engagement Program Manager, and camp assistants Amaya Stevenson and Matthew Holland.

Each computer kit included a monitor, cooling fan, keyboard, mouse, tower, memory and graphics cards, Wi-Fi adapter, and Windows operating system. The students learned about each component they installed.

“This was pretty fascinating,” said Elizabeth of Pottstown. “It was cool to learn new things about how different pieces of electronics work and how to put everything together to make it work.”

For several students, the most challenging part was installing the motherboard.

“Setting up the motherboard was hard, especially with my long fingers,” said Jose of Norristown. “I had to be extra careful and focus very hard.”

“We had to be careful not to short-circuit it by wearing a special wristband for grounding,” said Alonso of Norristown.

While the process tested their skills and persistence, they felt relieved and proud when their computers worked.

“I feel good that it works,” said Uriel of Norristown. “The instructors were good at explaining everything step-by-step.”

The participants’ parents were also impressed with the positive impact of the camp.

“I just wanted to say thank you for giving my son the opportunity to be a part of the PC Camp this month. I have seen such growth in him since starting,” said one parent. “During the school year, he would have difficulties with focusing or staying in tune with the work. These two weeks has brought out a desire in him that he wants to keep learning and putting things together. I never realized putting together a PC could or would change my son’s outlook on learning. I learned my son is more of a hands-on kid.”

“I just wanted to thank you so much for this opportunity to send my daughter to the PC camp. This was an absolutely phenomenal experience for her and her peers,” said another parent. “She is the kind of kiddo who has to drag herself out of bed in the morning for school. For this camp, she was setting her own alarm each night and was up before me each morning! She was eager to talk about her day every afternoon. She isn't your classic learner, and she thrives with being hands-on. This was such a rewarding opportunity for her. So, thank you! Thank you!”

Thanks to the generosity of Justamere Foundation and the dedication of the instructors and assistants, MCCC’s PC Build Summer Camp not only provided participants with their own computers to continue their learning but also new technology skills, stronger problem-solving and teamwork abilities, and a new sense of confidence.