Siviya's CAS Journey

Introduction
Starting from 11th grade, students are required to complete the CAS project in the last two years of IB. The CAS project includes three elements, which are creativity, activity, and service. Every student has to do at least 50 hours in each of the three elements of CAS, reaching a minimum of 150 hours in total. Studying will not be the only thing to focus on IB diploma, but also to gain experience that can improve self-determination and collaboration skills. By doing the CAS project, I can develop my own strength, also to serve the community and build relationships with others. Doing CAS project is a chance for me to know more about myself, people around me, my community, and society.

1 Identify own strengths and develop areas for growth

This learning outcome can very much be fulfilled by activities. While doing CAS projects, I tried some new sports and exercises that I am not familiar with. For example, in 2021, Taiwan was at level three epidemic alert, Taiwanese government asked people to cancel outdoor activities and stay inside. Since outdoor activities were not allowed at that time, I decided to do some indoor activities that can be done in my house. I believed yoga would be a good choice, so I started to learn yoga by watching videos on Youtube. This is my first time doing yoga and it was difficult for me to follow the videos in the beginning. However, by practicing, I develop the skill of flexibility, focus, and breath control. This CAS project shows that when I am doing a thing that I am not familiar with, by continuing practicing, there will be improvements and developments. By having the motivation to try new things and new skills, it is possible to strengthen our abilities.

2 Demonstrate that challenges have been undertaken, developing new skills in the process

While doing CAS experience, it will not be successful and go well every single time, there will also be challenges that need to be gone through. One of the CAS projects is to prepare for the mission trip of 橫山國小. I was the leader of the acting team and six teammates from grades 10th and 9th. The problem I faced during the preparation was that my team members were not very active. Our main goal at that time is to write a script together. However, they often did nothing or just something that is incomplete. This was a bit frustrating for me because I didn't know how to motivate them and make them finish their work on time. Then, I tried to communicate with them and be stricter, so they know the club is serious and our mission trip is very important. After some time and communication, they could do their work on time and with nice work. This challenge develops my skill in both leadership and communication the process. After this CAS experience, I learned how to communicate efficiently.

3 Demonstrate how to initiate and plan a CAS experience

This is an important outcome to achieve since it is often necessary to make plans to complete an event successfully. This outcome is achieved in both Sports day and Winter Festival to a big extent. Both of these two CAS projects are school-based in which we, as a club will be serving the community including students, parents, and anyone who is joining the activity. By planning the activities, many things need to be considered and planned in detail. Such as planning for games, food, setting up, time, etc. In trying to come up with a complete and foolproof plan, I learned to think more about all aspects and possible problems in order to avoid them. Also, I was more a team member or follower rather than an active planner. Through CAS projects, I have developed the skill of planning, and I am more familiar with how to complete a good plan and what to pay attention to when planning.

4 Show commitment to and perseverance in CAS experiences

Many times, commitment to and perseverance are essential elements to being successful. In my CAS projects, there are activities that teach me the importance of persistence, and many activities can not be accomplished without sustained effort. For example, the activity project of playing badminton requires me to insist on playing badminton every day for a month. If I give up halfway, my CAS project will not be completed, my previous practice will also be wasted. This taught me not to give up and to develop myself and gain value by persevering in different activities.

5 Demonstrate and recognize the benefits of working collaboratively

We often have to meet different people and communicate and cooperate with them. Through collaboration, we can create a greater advantage together, and combine everyone's efforts and ideas to achieve the goal. In the CAS project, there are times when I need to work with everyone. In particular, the activities organized by the school club require a lot of interaction and cooperation with club members. Such as Sports day, Winter festival, and preparing for the mission trip of 橫山國小. In these activities, I experienced negotiating and discussing different issues and topics with other club members. For example, 11th graders will discuss the preparation and topics together. We think about how to lead other club members to follow the instruction, how to make them more active in class, preparation for club time, time schedule, etc. During the process, my communication skills got improved and club work can be done efficiently with everyone’s contribution.

6 Demonstrate engagement with issues of global significance

As a global citizen, it is essential to have a global connection with the world. By doing different CAS projects, I have a better understanding and am more perceptive of things going on in the world and also my local society. For example, maintaining the environment could be a global issue that has to be paid attention to. Therefore, I decided to clean up the park near my house and pick up small garbages like tissue and cigarettes since these kinds of garbage are hard to be cleaned with a big broom for the cleaners. After completing this CAS experience, I realized other than parks, there are other places and environments that have to be cared for, such as mountains and beaches. I also hope my action can increase the awareness of people in the community, so they can start caring about the park's environment and can also use actual action to solve the issue.

7 Recognize and consider the ethics of choices and actions

Compared to the other six outcomes, this is less obvious in my CAS project. I did not face a lot of situations that got involved ethical choices and actions. In my CAS projects, the closest time that I faced an ethical choice is when participating in club activities. It is often necessary to meet club members with different ideas and opinions during club activities. During communication, it is essential to think about the best good and the least harm. For example, how can I make my words more polite while giving suggestions? Sometimes, what to say and how to say it will have a big influence on the listener’s feelings. Therefore, I believe ethical choices and actions were mostly practiced during interaction and communication with other people.

Conclusion

After completing all CAS projects, I believe CAS project is definitely valuable and meaningful for IB students. Through the CAS project, I can get a good balance between my studies and my life. While schoolwork is important, activities outside the school can’t be forgotten as well. CAS projects can help me expand my field and try different things. I also experience new things that can take me out of my comfort zone and discover new skills. CAS projects remind me to care about the community and people around me as well. Through volunteering, I can help others and make positive changes in society. After completing the entire project, I felt a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction.