Postsecondary STEM programs offer an integrative approach that allows students to build on their foundational knowledge in mathematics and science, using engineering and technology to create innovative solutions to real-world challenges. Active engagement and participation are crucial for realizing the full potential of these courses and fostering a critical perspective toward the material learned and the innovations produced. This chapter presents a study that explores the implementation of the ‘STEPWISE’ (Science & Technology Education Promoting Well-being for Individuals, Societies & Environment) framework (Bencze JL (ed). Science and technology education promoting wellbeing for individuals, societies and environments. Springer, 2017) and its impact on enhancing student engagement in postsecondary STEM programs. Additionally, it examines how active participation contributes to the development of critical thinking and the questioning of established norms. This qualitative action research involved semester-long participatory observations, individual and small group semi-structured interviews, and document and artifact analyses. The study was conducted at a leading community college in Toronto, Canada, offering STEM programs. The participants were twenty-three consenting students enrolled in an advanced biotechnology diploma program taught by Author 1. The findings indicate that the STEPWISE framework significantly increased student participation and engagement in their own learning. It promoted autonomy and agency as students initiated and conducted their own projects. Furthermore, the framework fostered critical thinking, enabling students to adopt a more critical stance toward their learning processes, thereby broadening their understanding beyond traditional domains of science and technology.