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Creativity ****** Action******Service
The International Baccalaureate (IB) goal is to educate the whole person and foster responsible, compassionate citizens.
The CAS programme encourages students to share their energy and special talents with others: students may, for example, participate in musical productions, sports and community service activities. Students grow through these activities, develop greater awareness of themselves, concern for others, and the ability to work cooperatively with other people.
What is CAS?
CAS is performing, building, cleaning, helping, learning, growing, Exploring, leading, following, collaborating, reflecting ... being a global citizen while helping the person next door.
The emphasis of CAS is on experiential learning, designed to involve students in new roles. Students are expected to be involved in the program during an 18 month period, starting the summer after finishing their sophomore year and continuing through to the spring semester of their senior year. Although students should begin working on their CAS projects the summer after sophomore year, no one is allowed to finish the program early. Failure to demonstrate an 18 month commitment could result in the failure of this component of the IB programme.
Creativity: arts, and other experiences that involve creative thinking.
Action: physical exertion contributing to a healthy lifestyle, complementing academic work elsewhere in the Diploma Programme.
Service: an unpaid and voluntary exchange that has a learning benefit for the student. The rights, dignity and autonomy of all those involved are respected. The most meaningful CAS experience comes from spending time with others to build relationships and develop self-worth of both server and served. The emphasis of CAS is on learning by doing real tasks that have real consequences and then reflecting on these experiences over time.CAS should involve:
• real, purposeful activities, with significant outcomes
• personal challenge-tasks must extend the student and be achievable in scope
• thoughtful consideration, such as planning, reviewing progress, reporting
• reflection on outcomes and personal learning.