The CAS Project

The Final CAS/L Project

• ONE CAS/L service-oriented and sustainable project is required

• Must be collaborative

• minimum THREE MONTHS in duration but longer is encouraged

• Students are strongly encouraged to combine the creativity and/or activity strand with the service strand so that their CAS/L Project is service-based.

• Your SERVELEARN GRADE-LEVEL unit project can be your CAS/L project

• All projects must use the 5 CAS Stages and have clear purpose & goals

• Should be student-initiated and based on students interests, skills and needs of the community

• Reflection should be a continuous part of the CAS/L Portfolio and clearly demonstrate achievement of the learning outcomes and Learner Profile attributes exhibited

All students need to complete at least ONE comprehensive service CAS/L Project that meets all of the expectations in order to complete the program. A CAS/L project is a collaborative, well-considered series of sequential CAS/L experiences, engaging students in one or more of the CAS strands of creativity, activity, and service. AISL students are strongly encouraged to combine the creativity and/or activity strand with the service strand to make their CAS/L Project service-based.

The primary purpose of the CAS/L project is to ensure participation in sustained collaboration. Through this level of engagement students may discover the benefits of teamwork and of achievements realized through an exchange of ideas and abilities. A CAS/L project challenges students to show initiative, demonstrate perseverance, and develop skills such as those of cooperation, problem solving and decision-making.

A CAS/L project involves collaboration between a group of students or with members of the wider community. Students work as part of a team, with all members being contributors. A CAS/L project offers students the opportunity to be responsible for, or to initiate, a part of or the entire CAS/L project. Working collaboratively also provides opportunities for individual students to enhance and integrate their personal interests, skills and talents into the planning and implementation of CAS/L projects.

All CAS/L projects should use the CAS stages as a framework for implementation to ensure that all requirements are met.

Examples of CAS/L Projects:

• Creativity & Service: A student group plans, designs and creates a mural for the school or an organization promoting peace in the world.

• Activity & Service: Student participates in a sports team and creates an training and matches program for that team that is beyond the regular practice schedule and season.

• Creativity & Service: Students creates academic guides for different school subjects and sets up a tutoring program for students in need.

• Creativity, Activity, Service: Students choreograph a routine for their marching band and offer their services to the community free of charge to enhance events.

• Service and activity: Students plan and participate in the planting and maintenance of a garden with members of the local community.

• Service and creativity: Students identify that children at a local school need backpacks and subsequently design and make the backpacks out of recycled materials to donate to the kids.

• Creativity, activity, and service: Students create, rehearse and perform a dance production for a community retirement home on a regular basis.

• Activity and Service: Students take the initiative to learning yoga on their own time and then creates class lessons to offer to other students as part of an ongoing after school club.

*More Examples

All CAS/L projects are designed with a defined purpose and goals. Individual students identify one or more learning outcomes to further guide their role and responsibilities in the CAS/L project. Students will likely identify more outcomes, or modify expected outcomes during the CAS/L project and/or at its completion. A minimum of ONE MONTH is recommended for a CAS/L project, from planning to completion. CAS/L projects of longer duration can provide even greater scope and opportunities for all participants and should be encouraged. Students should aim to undertake their CAS/L project locally and, if possible, engage in more than one CAS/L project over the duration of their CAS/L program.

As expected throughout CAS/L, students reflect on their CAS/L project experience. Due to the collaborative nature of the CAS/L project, having occasions to reflect with others can prove most informative and assist students in gaining insights into the process of their endeavor as well as personal growth.

CAS/L Experiences vs CAS/L Projects

A successful CAS/L student includes in his/her CAS/L program:

• Mostly a series of planned CAS/L experiences , plus 1 authentic CAS/L Project.

• And perhaps a few planned/unplanned singular events .

All are valuable and may lead to personal development. However, a meaningful CAS/L program must be more than unplanned/singular experiences.

CAS/L experiences may incorporate one or more of the CAS strands. For example:

• Going for a mountain hike could be a singular experience within the “Activity” strand.

• A student plans a number of visits to a nursing home resulting in a series of CAS/L experiences within the “Service” strand.

• A group of students plan and stage a basketball tournament for the local community, resulting in a series of CAS/L experiences involving the strands of “Activity” and “Service”.

There are five guidelines that should be applied to any proposed CAS/L experience.

A CAS/L experience must:

• Fit within one or more of the CAS strands

• Be based on a personal interest, skill, talent or opportunity for growth

• Provide opportunities to develop the attributes of the IB learner profile & Approaches to Learning

• Not be used or included in the student’s Diploma course requirements

• Should be able to help you achieve at lease one of the 7 CAS learning outcomes