How Students Rebuilt the World’s First Computer—80 Years Later

Have you ever wondered what computers looked like a long time ago?
Not laptops. Not tablets. But a computer so big it filled an entire room!

At PS Academy Arizona in Gilbert, students did something incredible. They rebuilt the world’s first electronic computer—and they built it full size!

🧠 What Was ENIAC?

The computer was called ENIAC (that’s short for a very long name!).
It was created in the 1940s and helped start the digital world we live in today.

When ENIAC was first built:

  • It filled a whole room
  • It weighed as much as six elephants
  • It used thousands of glowing tubes to work

This year—80 years later—students brought ENIAC back to life!

🛠️ Built by Students, Piece by Piece

Over six months, students at worked together to build a 1:1 replica (that means the same size as the original).

Their ENIAC:

  • Covered 500 square feet
  • Had 45 large sections
  • Included 18,000 pretend vacuum tubes, added one by one

That’s a LOT of careful work!

👩‍🏫 A Big Project with a Big Leader

The project was led by Mr. Tom Burick, the school’s technology teacher.
He has worked with robots, computers, and big tech companies.

Mr. Burick believed the students could do something amazing—and he was right.

Every student helped by:

  • Researching old photos and drawings 📸
  • Measuring and building parts 📏
  • Cutting, painting, and assembling pieces 🪚

No job was too small. Everyone mattered.

🌈 Why This Project Was So Special

Many of the students learn differently and sometimes struggle in regular classrooms.
But when they were trusted with a real, important project, something wonderful happened.

  • Quiet students spoke up
  • Students needing support showed great skill
  • Confidence grew bigger every day

Families were amazed by what their kids could do.

🌍 Sharing the Story with the World

Computer experts from museums and universities are excited about the project.
Students may even get to present their work to people around the world during ENIAC’s anniversary celebration.

💡 Did You Know?

  • ENIAC was the first electronic computer ever made
  • Today’s phones are way more powerful than ENIAC
  • This is the first full ENIAC rebuild in over 70 years

So imagine building something HUGE that helped change history.
If these students can rebuild a giant computer from the past…what amazing thing could you build next? 💻🌟