STEM Education for the Next Generation is not just about teaching equations or engineering concepts; it’s about shaping problem solvers, collaborators, and lifelong learners who will navigate a rapidly changing world, applying curiosity to responsible innovation across communities, workplaces, and civic life, in classrooms, labs, libraries, and informal spaces where curiosity is welcomed.As schools, districts, and communities rethink what it means to prepare students for the 21st century, STEM education best practices guide inclusive, rigorous, and engaging experiences for learners with diverse backgrounds, languages, and learning styles, across multilingual communities and both rural and urban settings that demand equity, to ensure multilingual learners and students with disabilities have accessible, meaningful pathways.