The Learning Sciences Research Institute at the University of Illinois at Chicago finds solutions for 21st Century educational challenges. We design and test innovative interventions, models, tools and technologies to support teachers and students in 21st century learning environments around the globe. Our "classrooms" break out of the traditional brick-and-mortar model because learning can happen anywhere. We focus on all learners, from child to adult, in schools, museums, and other settings where minds can grow and skills can be sharpened. We focus in particular on urban communities where school children have long been underserved. We focus on how the development of cognition can aid in the analysis and design of effective literacy, mathematics and science instruction, taking into account how the social and cultural dimensions influence learners and outcomes. We work to inform national education policy that supports those efforts. We share our findings through reports and papers, public outreach, and through the curricula we develop.