In 2005, through a startup donation, PAST transitioned from a loose knit project driven organization to a program-based non-profit. Additionally, PAST moved the main office to Columbus, Ohio centrally located within the United States. The move allowed PAST to strategically address the organization's growth. Continuously on the quest to partner with schools to pilot PAST programs, in 2006 the foundation formed a partnership with the Ohio State University, the Battelle Memorial Institute, the Central Ohio Educational Council, and the innovative STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) and Metro Early College and Demonstration High School, located on the OSU campus. Forming the PAST/Metro Program Design Center, PAST set about working with the high school faculty to design transdisciplinary programs that pivot on global issues. The very first program, "Garbology", built on the work of Dr. William Rathje of the Stanford University Archaeology Center and pivoted on the very real, global issues of waste management, drew national attention and was rewarded the "Emerald Award" for Excellence in Environmental Education. The students, the program, and the project director, Dr. Sheli O. Smith, were bestowed with this award.