CAS enables students to enhance their development by learning through experience. It provides opportunities for self-determination and collaboration with others, fostering a sense of accomplishment and enjoyment from their work.
At the same time, CAS is an important counterbalance to the academic pressures of the DP.
School life is so much more than a high DP score.
That rhymes in order to help you remember it.
CAS is an opportunity to apply what you learn, or employ skills that you may not easily get the chance to use in class. Leadership skills, collaboration, tackling a global issues, or experiencing the challenges of ethical choices are among the character developing outcomes within the program. Ideally, you will fill your CAS roster with what you want to do, or have always wanted to do. You should find things that are rewarding to YOU, and make your DP life more interesting.
In addition to this, many Universities look for the “well rounded student." The learning outcomes in this program just happen to be the exact same thing universities would like to see in an applicant.
You will realize that what you remember, and enjoyed the most from School was what you did outside of class. Service learning happens just outside your comfort zone, and with every experience, that zone grows larger.
Life-changing learning experiences are the ones that have been applied to real-world situations. Connect this to our School’s goal to nurture empathetic, globally minded individuals that will have a positive impact on the world, and you have the basis of our service learning effort.
Service learning allows direct application of knowledge to a setting outside the classroom. Students gain a deeper understanding of curricular content and a broader appreciation of their studies. They also learn the benefits of providing service to others, and recognize their greater responsibilities. Students will see themselves as a positive force in the world.
Within IB service learning are a collection of soft skills called ‘Learning Outcomes.’ In the classroom students can learn about society, injustice, and global needs, but until a student provides comfort to the homeless, help an impoverished community, or become vocal about in issue important to them, they would never fully recognize what their learning truly means.
Identify own strengths and develop areas for growth
Students are able to see themselves as individuals with various abilities and skills, of which some are more developed than others. This is a great opportunity to develop one, or more of those skills.
undertake challenges, developing new skills in the process
New skills may be shown through experiences not previously undertaken. This learning outcome provides students the opportunity to try something they've always wanted to.
Demonstrate how to initiate and plan a CAS experience
Learning how to organize and plan is an important skill. This outcome provides an opportunity for students to initiate an idea and see it through to completion.
Show Commitment and Perseverance to a Difficult Activity
More than just attending, this is commitment in the face of something challenging. This is an opportunity to take on something that others would find difficult to keep up, or to take another shot at something you may have quit in the past.
Working Collaboratively with Various People
More than just working with friends, this Learning Outcome helps students identify, demonstrate and critically discuss the benefits and challenges of working with other people.
Engagement with Issues of Global Significance
Students are able to identify and demonstrate their understanding of SIGNIFICANT global issues, make responsible decisions, and take appropriate ACTION in response to the issue either locally, nationally or internationally.
Making Ethical Choices and Taking Ethical Action
Students to show that they care about issues beyond themselves by taking on an activity that would reflect a change in their behavior. Students show that they see the consequences of their actions and the consequences of passivity.
Connect your service to your passion.
Service learning can take an infinite number of forms. With a little bit of creativity, you could connect what you love to what other people need.
Know where your service is going.
Helping out somewhere without knowing exactly who is benefiting will not provide you with nearly the same satisfaction as seeing where your efforts are paying off. Try to make contact with those who you’re helping, be aware of where your efforts are going. This is how you can feel good about what you’re doing.
Don’t be forced into service learning. Even though service is part of our schools philosophy, and part of the IB, there’s so much overlap between what you want to do, and what you have to do.
Your time is valuable. Many people are touched when someone’s willing to give them their time and consideration. More than the gift of money, time is valuable for regardless of who we are we all have the same limited amount of time. Giving feels most rewarding when what you’re giving has value to you as well.
