"<< Background >>The introduction of modern technologies and methods into teaching has long been our school’s priority. In recent years, we have managed to implement many of projects aimed at building modern classrooms for teaching IVT, foreign languages and science subjects, and we have tried to use these classrooms for more modern teaching methods, strengthen the interdisciplinary relationships and increase the connection between effective teaching and practice. The coronavirus epidemic, which resulted in long-term closure of schools and the introduction of online learning have accelerated the process of introducing modern teaching methods and demonstrated the need to improve the digital skills and competences of both teachers and students. During this time, we have made a great progress and gained valuable experience. That is why we would like to compare the level we have reached in using digital technologies in teaching with the level achieved by other schools, and at the same time we would like to find new sources of inspiration. We want to develop cooperation with schools from different regions of the European Union in order to get acquainted with their ways and methods of education, so that we can exchange experiences in the field of innovation and increase the quality of our teaching. We want to learn about the regions our partner schools come from more closely and reciprocally introduce them to our region. At the same time, we want to focus on the changes the regions have undergone during this century and notice not only how they were affected by climate change, but also show our students positive examples of solving environmental problems, such as using renewable energy, conversion of former industrial buildings into modern technology centres, introduction of organic practices in agriculture, etc. We support use of digital technologies in science and foreign languages teaching and we try to link geography teaching with that of mathematics, ICT and foreign languages to increase students' chances in the labour market where there is a lack of experts in science and technology. We are looking for innovative teaching methods to increase students' motivation and efforts. We are trying to focus on connecting field teaching using IBSE (inquiry - based science education) and GIS (geographical information systems). The essence of the IBSE method is the involvement of students in discovering the laws of science, connecting information into a meaningful context, developing critical thinking and promoting their positive attitude towards the natural sciences. GIS technology is an excellent tool for engaging students in class work. The project activities represent GIS integration strategies to support teaching, discussion and extended learning on any topic. It also shows practical ideas for GIS activities that improve students' learning and critical thinking skills. The project will help students visualize local and global data and make connection to the partner countries environment. Moreover, project activities will include GIS exercises and methodologies, as well as all the necessary guidelines for using GIS in teaching, which will expand teaching materials and approaches to organizing effective lessons and increase students' motivation. At the same time, we want to pay attention to engaging girls who have not been interested in studying ICT for a long time, although it is increasingly used in many fields. We want to introduce them to ICT in an interesting way and improve their skills through solving practical tasks. We emphasize the usability of acquired skills in practical life, we wish to develop students´ entrepreneurship, creativity and critical thinking and use mathematics as part of the skills they will need in the future. We want to work with universities that use GIS in their teaching and have the necessary equipment. We will also cooperate with business companies to show students that it is very close to the practice from theory.<< Objectives >>Our project wants to use the improvement material equipment of schools and the experience gained during online teaching in the use of digital technologies for the systematic development of digital skills in everyday teaching. It proved necessary to develop digital skills of teachers and share their experience gained in the use of digital technologies, which can modernize their teaching. The socio-economic situation of parents and their ability to help their children in the learning process play an important role. As a result of the coronavirus pandemic, schools were closed for some period of time and teaching was realized online. During this time, differences in students' digital skills grew. An important task of schools is to offer students such opportunities, so that the differences in digital competencies acquired during distance learning are gradually levelled out. Student motivation is also very important. As digitization is not self-saving and spending several hours a day at a computer can be stressful for students' well-being and can worsen their concentration, we want to link the development of IT competencies with the research form of teaching. The regions in which the partner schools operate are undergoing economic transformation. They face the departure of young educated people to more promising regions. They are looking for opportunities for further development, and the way will be the use of digitization and the development of such economic activities that will not harm the environment. The requirements for school graduates’ skills are changing. The importance of the development of creativity, critical thinking, mutual cooperation, lifelong learning is growing.However, new job opportunities are emerging, which are associated with digital competences. We have chosen the field of geographic information systems that are widely used in practice. In this field we cooperate with universities. We want to show students the positives of our region and increase their motivation to form a deep relationship with it, to make them return back after graduating, live here and help transform the region for the better. Economic transformation combines climate change with achieving carbon neutrality. Educators and young people should view this process positively and stress its positive impact on the region's environment. In the future, the education system should combine digital and personal learning experiences. We see possibilities in students’ involvement in group work, where experiential pedagogy can be used to search for non-traditional solutions and to perform assigned tasks together. We will motivate students to form a relationship with science and technology (STEM) and extend it to STEAM, i.e. engage their creativity; to formulate their ideas and present them. We plan to visit science centre to mediate knowledge of science and technology in an entertaining way and inspire students in choosing their future profession. The use of modern teaching methods will lead to the development of key competencies. From September 2021, a new framework of the educational program will enter into force in the Czech Republic, which applies to lower secondary schools. It brings a new goal, which is to help students enter to the digital environment and lead them to the safe, confident, critical and creative use of these technologies. Digital competence will become part of key competences. We will look for a balanced relationship between the use of IT technologies and creative activities that bring new ideas. We will lead our students to mutual cooperation and through their international contacts to develop their language skills.<< Implementation >>We are going to implement various activities which can be divided into several groups. One of them consists of three eTwinning projects, which are dedicated to the promotion of partner schools, knowledge of their region and the state of its environment and positive examples that contribute to its improvement. These eTwinning projects will enable students to get to know the project participants before carrying out international educational activities, promote their digital communication and the improvement of foreign languages knowledge, and develop their creativity and media competence. In the period before the implementation of Learning and Teaching Activities, seminars of teachers will take place with the aim to teach them digital educational methods with a focus on geographic information systems and the environment. Educators will then teach their students to master the required skills in the above fields, which they will need in the implementation of international educational activities. This will improve the digital competencies of teachers and students in fields in which they do not yet have so much experience, but which are very useful in practice. This will strengthen the link between teaching and practical life. During Learning and Teaching Activities, 10 teams of students and 2 teams of teachers will be created, including one participant from each partner organization. These teams will work in the field using research form of teaching and collect data, which will then be used for digital results processing. This will develop their creativity, critical thinking, ability to cooperate with others and communicate with them, to seek compromises, through experiential pedagogy. The field work will focus on knowledge of the region and positive solutions to environmental problems. At the same time, project participants will realize that the ongoing transformation of the region can be a way to improve its environment, and will be motivated to take an interest in it, which will contribute to the development of citizenship competence. Educators will be able to get acquainted with the education system in partner schools, and because two of them are inclusive, they will be able to gain experience in educating students ""with fewer opportunities"". Students will get into contact with these students and learn tolerance and mutual help. Teachers will also get acquainted with the level of digitization of schools in the field of digital teaching and evaluation of student results, management of pedagogical documentation, communication between students and teachers, among teachers and between teachers and parents. They can then transfer this experience to their organizations and thus contribute to the development of digitization within their own organization. The digital processing of the results by students´ and teachers’ teams that will follow after the Learning and Teaching Activities. Students´ and teachers´ digital skills will be developed, as well as digital communication through suitable communication platforms. As all the educational activities are focused on the fields of ""STEM"", students´ motivation to learn science and mathematics will increase. We want to increase the motivation of girls not only to learn science and mathematics, but also ICT, to which they are not as much attrated related as boys, but which is very important in practical life and in the future the demands for mastering digital skills will increase. The girls will make up 50% of the student teams and thus gain space for employment. When working in a team, students can learn from each other. As the making of outputs will also include the processing of photographs, videos, the formulation of ideas and creativity, it will naturally expand the area of ""STEM"" to ""STEAM"".<< Results >>We expect the project to test innovative approaches in teaching which will combine elements of research-oriented teaching with a focus on the local region and the environment followed by digital processing of data obtained during this teaching. Project activities will develop students´ and teachers´ the digital skills and contribute to the development of digitization of partner schools in the management of pedagogical agenda, communication between pupils and teachers, teachers to each other and between teachers and parents. As well, we want to expand digital procedures in the field of student evaluation. Mutual contacts among students as well as teachers of partner schools will enable the improvement of communication skills of both students and teachers in foreign languages and awareness of the importance of foreign languages knowledge in international communication. Students and teachers will get to know the regions in which the partner organizations operate, their social and cultural diversity. At the same time, they will get acquainted with positive examples of solving environmental problems in individual regions and will be motivated to become real initiator of change and prefer ecological practices in everyday life (saving energy resources, choosing greener means of transport, etc.). Project activities will develop teamwork, the participation of students “with fewer opportunities” will lead others to a greater understanding and empathy to different types of diversity (social, cultural diversity, diversity of abilities). The introduction of innovative teaching methods with the support of science and mathematics education and the use of digital technologies should increase graduates' chances on the labour market and adapt the educational process to the requirements of changing world. It is also important to increase the motivation of girls to study science, mathematics and IVT. The use of experiential pedagogy and group work will contribute to the development of creativity, critical thinking and a positive attitude towards learning in students as well as to increasing teachers´ motivation towards introducing innovative methods and using digital skills. What is more, the importance of lifelong learning for teachers will be demonstrated. The development of contacts between teachers of partner organizations will also contribute to the development of partner organizations themselves. These project activities will bring new experiences and thus will improve the skills of these organizations in the preparation and implementation of project activities and strengthen cooperation between secondary schools and universities.During the implementation of the project, a project website will be created by the international students´ team, which will share and promote created teaching materials, outputs of international teams from the implementation of Learning and Teaching Activities and other materials related to the project.The outputs of the project will include three eTwinning projects that will enable the presentation of schools and regions and improve students' knowledge of the environment in their surroundings. During the implementation of the project, a thematic glossary with basic specific vocabulary for geography and the environment will be created in the languages of the partner countries, English, German and French. Teachers from partner countries will create a list of freely available digital applications usable in teaching science, mathematics, IVT and English. Partner schools will offer their students an optional subject in the field of geoinformatics or the local region in the form of research-oriented teaching with digital outputs or the environment. They will include the topic of geographic information systems in geography teaching. Schools will also include research-oriented teaching Project Days which will use geographic information systems."