Dnipro Scientific Lyceum of Information Technologies of Dnipro City is a leading STEM education institution in the city, provides specialized training for students with in-depth study of natural and mathematical disciplines, actively cooperates with academic scientific institutions, research laboratories, enterprises and organizations. The implementation of the project based on the Lyceum will allow creating a modern educational space in the city for training competitive graduates through the formation of key competencies, research thinking and the ability to apply knowledge in practical activities through an interdisciplinary and project-research approach to learning through the practical application of scientific, mathematical, technical and engineering knowledge and skills. Creating conditions for the implementation of STEM education by equipping classrooms and STEM laboratories in the Lyceum will ensure the transition from predominantly theoretical specialized training to systematic practical, experimental and project work; will become a high-quality resource to support the system of student engineering, scientific and eco-technological projects, strengthen the preparation of education seekers for Olympiads, intellectual competitions, engineering and technological tournaments, improve the results of NMT; expand opportunities for interdisciplinary integration and the formation of competencies necessary for further education and professional self-realization in science-intensive areas. The project combines compliance with state priorities in the field of specialized education with the proven institutional capacity of the institution and the real demand of students for a modern educational environment. Therefore, the creation of such a modern educational space in the Dnipro Scientific Lyceum of Information Technologies of the Dnipro City Council is a strategically justified investment in the development of the institution and education as a whole in terms of ensuring high-quality specialized education for students in grades 10-12. The lyceum has already established a practice of weekly group and research work, in particular with the participation of teachers who work in the system of the Small Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and conduct classes on the basis of the lyceum for students of the institution and invited students from other educational institutions. Currently, this model operates in the physics and mathematics direction and can be scaled up thanks to the renewal of the laboratory and STEM infrastructure.

The relevance of the project is due not only to general changes in the system of senior profile schools, but also to the specifics of the institution itself. Dnipro Scientific Lyceum of Information Technologies is a scientific and specialized educational institution, the activities of which are aimed at identifying, developing and supporting capable and gifted students, organizing their research, design and innovation activities. Under such conditions, a modern subject and laboratory environment is not an additional advantage, but a mandatory institutional basis for the implementation of the educational program of the lyceum, in particular in mathematical and natural sciences, physical and technological and interdisciplinary STEM areas. Despite the presence of classrooms in physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics, computer science, the current level of their material and technical support is insufficient for the full implementation of the practical component of educational programs and the formation of research competencies of students. The limited amount of modern educational equipment makes it difficult to organize laboratory and practical work in full. In such conditions, the educational process often focuses mainly on the theoretical study of educational material, which does not fully correspond to the competency-based approach provided for by the reform of the senior specialized school "New Ukrainian School". At the same time, the lyceum already has an active environment for research training of students: weekly group classes are held, including on the basis of cooperation with teachers of the Academy of Sciences. Both lyceum students and invited students from other educational institutions are involved in such classes. However, the lack of modern equipment limits the opportunities for experimental testing of hypotheses, creation of prototypes, holding demonstrations, preparation of high-quality competitive works and interdisciplinary STEM projects. The solution to this problem is envisaged by modernizing the classrooms/laboratories of physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics; robotics, STEM laboratories, namely: carrying out repairs in classrooms in the specified disciplines, purchasing modern educational equipment and didactic materials for the creation of laboratories in physics, chemistry, biology, robotics, STEM laboratories, and a mathematics classroom; When creating and arranging the educational space, it is planned to take into account the principles of universal design and reasonable accommodation. This will ensure the accessibility of the educational environment for all participants in the educational process, in particular for persons with special educational needs, and will contribute to the creation of safe and ergonomic conditions for conducting laboratory and practical work. The implementation of the project will ensure the creation of modern classrooms/laboratories, which will contribute to improving the quality of the educational process, developing the research skills of education seekers, and fully implementing the content of senior specialized education in the context of the implementation of the "New Ukrainian School" reform.