This article is written to promote a didactic idea of connecting computer-enabled experiential approach to K-12 mathematics with the applied, project-based teaching of undergraduate university mathematics as a way of encouraging students to participate in the STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) workforce of the future. It reviews current body of research on how to bring engineering and science into the K-12 mathematics curriculum. The notion of recursion is used as an illustration of how one can bridge K-12 and university mathematics in the context of STEM education. The ideas presented in this article, though based on a North American experience, can be used within a broader international context.