F o r e w o r d s
F R O M  T H E  C O O R D I N A T O R S  &   A D V I S O R S

As the CAS Coordinator this year, it has been my responsibility and pleasure to follow the progress of our Diploma students as they worked to complete their Projects and Experiences for the CAS Programme. This has been a very fulfilling experience, and they have selected a myriad of service-related projects to write about.

From creating lessons and meaningful activities for students at a local Thai school, to enhancing educational opportunities at an orphanage; from developing recipes for people with little cooking experience, to promoting sustainable and healthy eating habits within the community, our students have shown innovation in imagining their contributions and resilience in completing the requirements of their projects.

Whether it is a child at the Father Ray Foundation in Pattaya painting a ukulele, a stray cat in Minburi being cared for by one of our students, or a newly planted mangrove tree in Hua Hin, our IB Diploma students have demonstrated the values of Creativity, Activity, and Service, and the benefits have been far-reaching.

Enjoy the many reflections contained in the pages that follow.

We are very proud of our students!

Although this is my fifth year as a CAS Advisor, I find that each year I engage with the CAS Programme, new insights and patterns emerge alongside the familiar routines of Projects, Portfolios, and Interviews.

One of the trends that stood out to me this year was the value of being a risk-taker. During our final interviews, I asked students what they believed they would carry forward from their CAS experiences into the next chapter of their lives. The answer I heard over and over again was, “not being afraid to try new things.” It is a valuable lesson at a time when our world demands flexibility and adaptability in the face of uncertainty.

At the end of the day, CAS is really about creating space: space to take risks, space to set goals, space to reflect and learn from mistakes, and space to discover what you enjoy—and perhaps even discover things you never thought you would.

It has been a pleasure to serve as a CAS Advisor for two groups of IB Year 2 students.

One of the most enjoyable aspects of this role has been hearing about the students’ experiences in creativity, activity, and service throughout the year. I will treasure every moment they shared with me—a photograph from a service trip, a video of them learning an instrument, or a reflection about their engagement in a physical activity such as walking or running. Even more special than what they shared with me as an advisor was seeing them share their experiences with classmates, reflecting out loud and asking one another questions, demonstrating genuine interest in what everyone was involved in.

I was very impressed by the level of reflection these students demonstrated, not only regarding their CAS journeys but also their overall IB experience. The IB Core class became a space where they felt comfortable expressing their worries, concerns, questions, and achievements.

While students sometimes felt pressure to meet CAS deadlines, they also appreciated having an IB Core class with dedicated time to work on these important tasks.

These groups have taught me that while meeting deadlines is necessary, taking the time to reflect on how to meet them is equally important. Sometimes that may mean completing another pressing task first—or even taking some time to rest before getting started.

Thank you all for a wonderful year. I will miss you!