For a long time, policy makers and researchers have focused on the need to deal with disengagement, in forms such as low or erratic attendance at school, negative interactions with peers, and behavioural issues. AITSL is now approaching this issue in a different way. Its new Learning Frontiers project seeks to examine the professional practices that actively promote deep engagement in learning. Learning Frontiers will be working with ‘design hubs’ (clusters of schools and other organisations) to develop teaching, learning and assessment practices that increase engagement. The design hubs will involve students, parents, business, social enterprises, professional associations and universities, amongst other partners. The current article looks at what the research has to say about engagement and how to foster it, and introduces the work of the design hubs. Future articles in this series will describe in more detail what Learning Frontiers is doing with schools and other organisations, and will also look at some examples of engaging learning environments.