Crushing CAS

LOst and want to know what to do immediately?

Watch this c. 6-minute video explaining the first steps as you log into ManageBac and begin your 18-month CAS journey.

POsters explaining the entire cas process

Great posters from CASTrips.com, a for-profit company that combines travel with the three (3) strands of CAS. Whoa. If only we could afford these experiences. I will hang them up in our CASroom. I mean E101. I also have laminated copies if you want to take a gander.

Background: Who am I and what do I know?

What is the role of a CAS coordinator?

The IBO publishes great materials for those who are brand new to CAS. All of the explanations below come from the "Orientation to the Creativity, activity, service (CAS) teacher support materials." Check it out. There are lesson plans for introducing CAS and a ton of great resources.

IB stipulates that "each school will develop its own description for the role of the CAS coordinator, with specific responsibilities that suit the school and the size of its CAS programme. When setting or reviewing the specifics for your school, consider a team approach that would include several students who can lend their perspective on what they would appreciate as priorities.

"The most fundamental role of the CAS coordinator is to support the DP students in having a positive and memorable experience during their CAS programme that also leads to fulfillment of all the CAS requirements. The position of the CAS coordinator is part of a college-wide strategic aim to develop a balanced lifestyle for students through the CAS programme and a service ethos among the students. "

Purpose of CAS

IB's stated purpose

First, let me state that you do not have to do anything that you don't want to do in order to accomplish CAS. This part of the core is meant to provide balance and self-reflection. As part of the IB diploma program, you are already involved in improving your mind. CAS allows you to extend yourself, focusing on your health and your community. The International Baccalaureate lists a few purposes outright:

• CAS enables students to enhance their personal and interpersonal development by learning through experience;

• CAS provides opportunities for self-determination and collaboration with others, fostering a sense of accomplishment and enjoyment from their work;

• CAS is an important counterbalance to the academic pressures of the DP.

What seniors say about the purpose of CAS

Students who feel that they get the most out of CAS offer sincere, introspective reflection. They focus on the Learning Outcomes, yes, but they also make sure that what they do and what they record or write offers genuine evaluation of their experiences. Some candidates make CAS a primary focus. Other candidates choose to work incrementally, offering something every quarter of an American high school calendar and still complete the program to IB's satisfaction. Candidates choose how they want to "do CAS." What we want to move away from is the concept that CAS is something that candidates check the boxes for but never really invest themselves in.

Our juniors and seniors know that they are always developing on a personal level, collaborating with others, and are under constant academic pressure. CAS seems like merely one more addition to an already stressful program, what with reflections and hours and meetings with a CAS coordinator. The purpose of CAS is not to add to that stress although we know that all requirements will add some stress to their lives. The graduating seniors respond best to this question with very simple replies:

• CAS helps you reflect about why you are doing what you doing and its importance (these reflections then help with college essays);

• CAS provides you with a sense of success because most of you are already doing what it demands, i.e. involvement in the mind, the body, and the community;

• CAS trains you to think more introspectively about your overall self outside of academics.

Junior introduction to CAS

Below, you will find a c. 20-minute video about how we introduce CAS to our juniors in the fall of their 1st full year as IB candidates. There is a range of information on this website that applies to all candidates engaged in CAS, but this video is how we kick things off at Marshall. Have at it.

A CAS experience that explains the IB diploma

Nica Albertson, GCM Class of 2019, created this video to explain the IB diploma using her peers and our faculty. Check it out.

Learning through CAS