For 60 years, TERC has worked alongside educators, researchers, families, and communities to better understand how people learn STEM. During that time, we've developed curricula, studied learning environments, piloted new approaches, and partnered with organizations across the country to explore a fundamental question: What does it take to engage students in meaningful and inspiring STEM learning experiences? While educational trends, technologies, and standards have evolved, research has consistently pointed to several conditions that help students participate more deeply in STEM. These findings have emerged across classrooms, afterschool programs, community-based initiatives, and informal learning environments.