What happened
Getting Smart profiled the PAST Foundation as an educational R&D prototyping facility in Central Ohio that partners with K-12 schools, postsecondary institutions, and industry and community organizations. The article says PAST provides student experiences, educator professional learning, and research and evaluation, and reports reach of over 3.2 million students, more than 24,000 educators, 596 programs, and over 120 locations.
Why it matters
For educators and learning designers, the case illustrates a mature intermediary model built around transdisciplinary, problem-based STEM learning, field sites, portable labs, and industry collaboration. Its 2024 examples include nearly 10,000 summer STEM learners, 70 high school interns, and an Early IT microschool pathway with the University of Cincinnati, three district partners, and Deloitte.
What to do next
Teams considering similar models should map which community, employer, higher education, and district partners can support real-world projects before scaling. Treat the reported reach and outcomes as case-report data, not proof that the model will transfer. Review local credit, credentialing, staffing, transport, and assessment constraints, and define what evidence would show learner benefit in your setting.
About this briefing
Reviewed by TutorFlow Editorial. We link the primary source, preserve its publication date, and distinguish reported claims from TutorFlow analysis. Our commentary focuses on practical decisions for educators and training teams.
Discussion (0)
Open to everyone