New and evolving pathways of innovation in the science of learning and education call for deep, iterative, and strategic connections between the learning and education communities. How can we overcome the challenges of such cross-disciplinary and cross-professional collaborations? Three speakers will share their experiences for connecting basic learning research with education research in the areas of neuroscience, cognitive sciences, social sciences, computer science, and robotics. They will speak to the following: In what way has engaging practitioners from the start influenced the scientific research agendas? What different kinds of resources and capacities (expertise, people, tools) are needed to implement research findings in schools and, conversely, to use practitioner knowledge to guide research agendas? What new kinds of policies may be required to address issues such as teacher development, the organization of instruction, and out-of-school learning? Discussions will cover issues of how to best build the knowledge base, how to encourage schools to participate in research studies, how to fit interventions into the ongoing school curricula, and the challenges of scale and sustainability.