In October 1997 the Nacka Gymnasium Team attended the Ecological Olympiad in St. Petersburg organised under the co-sponsorship of UNESCO. The team of students were successful and enjoyed the competitions and hospitality of their Russian hosts. During the competition days contacts were made with Russian teachers from school 466 in Pesochny. Great interest in the way Environmental Sciences in Nacka Gymnasium is taught was shown. The idea was to perform a teachers' training seminar for Russian teachers on the environmental sciences. In winter plans were made, money raised and the seminar date set (20-22 May '98). Energy and hospitality of Sirkija Tatiana, School Headmaster, and her staff greatly helped to make the initial ideas become reality. The contents of the course centered around three themes:

1. Nacka's lakes water quality monitoring in close collaboration with the Municipality of Nacka

2. Practical methods in making monitoring activities in a credible way

3. Eco-technological solutions to environmental problems worked out by the Royal Technical Institute, KTH, and Nacka Gymnasium