What Counts as CAS?

In general, an experience/project may be acceptable if:

• The experience falls under one or more of the CAS strands (creativity, activity, service).

• The student can demonstrate how one or more of the learning outcomes will be met.

• The student can demonstrate how they will personally grow from the experience.

• The activity has real consequences or benefits for the student and/or other people.

Unacceptable experiences/projects include:

• Anything for which money is paid.

• Anything that is for a grade or needed for high school/IB credit.

• Time spent on simple, tedious, and/or repetitive tasks (ex. filing)

• Replacing books on library shelves, shredding paper).

• Family duties (like babysitting siblings), religious devotions, or proselytizing.

• Passive pursuits (ex. going to a museum or concert will not count as creative).

• Activities that cause division among different groups in the community. Any course that is part of your IB Diploma Programme.

Whether an activity can be considered for CAS depends on whether you and your CAS coordinator work together to ensure that it connects to one or more Learning Outcome(s), so that effective and relevant reflection takes place.

For example, would work experience or an internship at a newspaper count as CAS? For it to become a CAS service experience, you could:

• give a presentation at a careers evening about journalism (thereby developing new skills)

• prepare a short booklet on what you learned about the pros and cons of journalistic responsibility for fellow students (thereby reflecting on the ethical implications)

• talk to younger students about the experience (thereby offering a service to the community; requires perseverance and commitment)

• plan, develop and reflect on any individual tasks or activities done while on the work experience placement.

In addition, the planning needed for each of these steps could be recorded and reflected upon. You might also take the activities done and turn them into a 'Creativity' experience by collecting and recording the creative experiences surrounding the placement.

Perhaps you were able to write or contribute to pieces that were published? Perhaps you wrote articles that you shared with your colleagues at the newspaper for feedback? Your reflective research might include

analyzing and reflecting on a number of professional articles, as you would pieces of literature in your language A class. You might collect all of your articles and research into a portfolio to share with your CAS coordinator.

The CAS guide encourages you to continue with activities that you are already doing. This is entirely possible — provided you implement the Learning Outcomes and reflections into what you are doing.

​When in doubt, please discuss the experience description and goals with your CAS Coordinator prior to beginning the activity to see if it will count for CAS.