What is CAS?
The Creativity, Activity and Service program (CAS) is a scheme of experiential learning. It is at the core of the IB Diploma and it is aligned to our school’s core values of companionship, integrity and respect. Simply put, CAS continues your education outside the classroom. It is an opportunity for you to develop your own skills and interests and contribute what you have to offer to various communities by short-term or long-term experiences you have undertaken
CREATIVITY
Exploring and extending ideas leading to an original or interpretive product or performance. Creativity will come from your talents, interests, passions, emotional responses, and imagination; the form of expression is limitless. This may include visual and performing arts, digital design, writing, film, culinary arts, crafts and composition. You are encouraged to engage in creative endeavors that move them beyond the familiar, broadening their scope from conventional to unconventional thinking.
ACTIVITY
Physical exertion contributes to a healthy lifestyle. Students are encouraged to participate at an appropriate level and on a regular basis to provide a genuine challenge and benefit. Students who regularly participate in suitable activity experiences are encouraged to develop and extend their participation. Students could expand personal goals, explore different training models to enhance their existing sport or become involved in a new sport.
SERVICE
Collaborative and reciprocal engagement with the community in response to an authentic need. The aim of the “Service” strand is for students to understand their capacity to make a meaningful contribution to their community and society. Through service, our students develop and apply personal and social skills in real-life situations involving decision-making, problem-solving, initiative, responsibility, and accountability for their actions.
CAS is intended to help you develop as an individual, through a process of self-discovery, self-awareness and reflection.
During this process, you will think about yourself and about how others see you. You will assess your strengths and areas to work on, and you will reflect on the experiences as you carry them out. During and after an experience, you will have to reflect on what you are doing, how you are doing it, and what thoughts or feelings it creates for you. As a result, before you start, you need to stop and look at yourself and the activities which you would like to take part in. How to do this is explained in this Handbook.
A good CAS program must relate to your personal qualities, aims and ambitions, so that it is relevant for you and has a powerful learning value. Setting goals, making plans to achieve them, and the assessment of your results are fundamental to experiential learning. It is essential that you develop the habit of critical reflection.
Naturally, CAS experiences should be something you both enjoy and feel are worthwhile to you and the community of our school and beyond!
We hope you all enjoy this framework and make the most of the opportunities it provides.
