Build Your Own Computer Camp Gorham3
Description
Have you ever wondered what all the parts of a desktop computer do? How a computer is put together, configured, and setup to run? This camp is for youth who want to build and test their own computer. We will be posting the specs of the computer by the end of May. We will be checking with prices early in spring to maximize performance for your build (within our budget). ​ Each camper will use surplus and new parts that will be provided in order to build a fully functional personal computer.

Included in the computer will be:
- Case and power supply (min 500 watt)
- MATX Motherboard
- AMD CPU
- DDR4 RAM
- Solid state drive
- Keyboard and mouse
- Monitor
- WiFi adapter

The typical finished computer is a solid, mid-range build with basic peripherals (monitor, keyboard, mouse). While not a $2,000+ high-end gaming machine, campers will leave with a great first PC, and also leave with the knowledge of how to upgrade it in the future (if they choose to do so). However, it will play most games at a reasonable frame rate and at a reasonable resolution. This program is an excellent opportunity for the youth to learn about computer architecture and to understand how all the different parts of a computer fit together, both physically and electronically. Each camper will get to take the computer home when they are finished!

Open to ages 12 to 16.

Want to learn more about our camps? Check out our website here: https://usm.maine.edu/stem-outreach/stem-camps/

Camp pricing:

The University of Southern Maine is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization, and we do everything in our power to keep our camps affordable for Maine families. At the same time we make an effort to staff with the best mentors for our campers, we do this by employing classroom educators, university faculty/staff, industry experts, and college undergraduate & graduate students.


With that being said, our biggest expense each year is our camp staff wages. As the cost of living, and the cost of wages increase, it directly impacts the cost to run our camps. Please keep this in mind as you’re browsing our selection of camps, and understand that we do everything we can to keep our camps affordable.

Possible Effects from 2025 Tariffs & Computer Component Shortage:

As of late 2025, there has been a significant price increase on certain computer components, most significantly in DRAM and SSDs, and less drastically for other components like CPUs. For DRAM, which we use for our computer builds, we are currently seeing price increases of 4x as much as what they were listed for in early 2025 ($30 -> $120 for one model that we use). This price increase is reportedly due to demand from AI data centers and related industries. It’s not forecasted that this price will decrease by the summer of 2026. We will continue to monitor the market, and make decisions on components to build a capable computer while keeping the camp as affordable as possible.

Please note that new tariffs went into effect starting early in 2025, which directly impacts some of our most critical camp equipment. This could impact any camp that has take-home electronics equipment (such as “3D Printing & Design”, “Build Your Own Computer Camp”, and “CubeSat Camp”), the cost of the materials may increase as much as 35%. At the moment, we haven’t seen any significant price increases from the vendors we use (other than what was noted above), but “we don’t know” means “we don’t know” with regard to how this will impact the cost to run the program.

We are working to mitigate that by ordering this equipment early, and from specific vendors, but we are preparing for the cost of 3D printers, computer hardware, and any other electronics equipment to increase significantly. If this ends up happening, we will work with families directly to find the best solution in this scenario, but it may result in an add-on cost to camper families.
Location:
University of Southern Maine - Gorham
Dates:
Week 3 - 7/6 - 7/10
Time:
9:00 AM - 3:30 PM
Ages:
Ages 12 - 16
Cost:
$1,065.00
Availability:
This session has openings
Registration will end on 7/4/2026.
BYOCC
Windows License Option
Do Not Include Windows 11 License
Do not include a copy of Windows 11 with finished PC

Windows licenses can be obtained at a much lower cost by individuals than it can by us as an organization. We recommend pursuing buying a copy on your own to avoid this additional cost.
Include Windows 11 License
Include a copy of Windows 11 Home with finished PC.

This option includes the Windows 11 Home system builder with the PC. Please keep in mind that we are not able to get the best price for Windows 11, but we are happy to order it on your behalf if that is preferred.		+ $139.00
Discounts
Multi-Week Discount
If a camper is enrolled in multiple weeks, or siblings are registered, each week receives a $20 discount.		$20.00