Service

Under the new CAS handbook guidelines, CAS Service falls into one of four categories:

1. Direct service: Student interaction involves people, the environment, or animals.  For example, this can appear as one-on-one tutoring, volunteering at a nursing home/hospital/elementary school, or working at an animal shelter.  All WSA students are encouraged to have at least one direct service experience, as direct contact provides students with the most meaningful of service experiences and often becomes a story that can be expounded upon in college application essays.  

Other examples include:

• Volunteer to paint a parking spot for a senior or a staff member who is not artistically-inclined

• Volunteer at local elementary schools' ELL program

• Setting up for and participating in school-related programs, orientations, and assemblies

• Providing free tutoring to elementary, junior high, or high school students

• Organizing, running, or helping out with a blood bank

• Volunteering on election days at polling locations

• Volunteer with Habitat for Humanity (https://kitsaphabitat.org/)

• Volunteering at a senior living facility (Martha and Mary in Poulsbo)

• Volunteering at any number of North Kitsap elementary schools for after-school fairs, projects, and activities

• Coaching younger athletes

• Organizing a series of Fishline food bank volunteering opportunities for students

• Organizing a Kids Against Hunger event

• Volunteering or planning new student orientation at WSA

• Volunteering at WSA-sponsored evening events (WSA Admissions Open House, WSA College Night, WSA IBDP Infor Night)

• Becoming an officer in Drama Club or Global Periods

• Volunteering at a local animal shelter (Kitsap Humane Society)

• Sponsoring a Christmas party at an elementary school

• Volunteering at a soup kitchen

• Organizing Thanksgiving baskets for the needy (Fishline, Bremerton Foodline, Central Kitsap Food Bank, Sharenet Food Bank) 

• Volunteer at Second Season Thrift Store - the proceeds benefit Fishline. 

• Surveying a grade or the entire school on a topic of cultural importance and presenting your findings to the administration

• Volunteer at local Emergency Shelters (https://www.kitsapgov.com/hs/Pages/HH-Severe-Weather-Shelters.aspx)

• Teaching a musical instrument or foreign language to younger children

2. Indirect service: Though students do not see the recipients of indirect service, they have verified their actions will benefit the community or environment.  For example, this can appear as re-designing a non-profit organization's website, conducting a beautification project at a local park, or fundraising supplies or a monetary donation to a local or international organization.  Students should conduct proper research to determine if a community need exists for an indirect service project, such as a fundraising campaign.  

Other examples include:

• Canned food donations and delivery

• Clothing, stuffed animals, school supplies, US military serving overseas, or book drives

• Cleaning up or planting flowers at a local park

• Taking a CPR class and becoming certified

• Running the WSA tournament to raise money for new books for the WSA library

• Completing an Eagle Scout project

• Raising money for and participating in an activity event to raise money for a cause (Relay for Life, 3-Day Cancer Walk)

Become a transcriber for the United States Library of Congress, where tens of thousands of documents need conversion from images into digital files that can be accessed by your fellow Americans.  As part of this solitary CAS experience, you will need to take ongoing screenshots of the "My Contributions" page under your profile settings.  If you are interested, please visit the following site where you can create an account and receive training: https://crowd.loc.gov/help-center/welcome-guide/

3. Advocacy: Students speak on behalf of a cause or concern to promote action on an issue of public interest.  For example, this may appear as initiating an awareness campaign on hunger, presenting a PowerPoint to a group of students to inform them of an important issue, or creating a video on sustainable water solutions.  Students need to recognize that advocacy is often a necessary step on the part of a CAS project to encourage direct or indirect service.  

Other examples include:

• Bringing in a guest speaker to a class or club to speak on an important issue

• Organizing a presentation to a group of students on an important issue to you or one related to you class curriculum

• Joining and working with Amnesty International

• Encouraging your local community to (register to) vote in an upcoming election

• Writing letters to local, state, or international representatives regarding legislation or policy

• Speaking at a local organization or charity event in support of an important issue

• Creating engaging posters, videos, and websites that you can demonstrate as non-profit agencies

• Recruiting Relay for Life teams in your community

4. Research: Students collect information through varied sources, analyze data, and report on a topic of importance to influence policy or practice.  For example, they may conduct environmental surveys to influence their school, contribute to a study of animal migration, compile effective means to reduce litter in public places, conducting social research by interviewing people on topics such as homelessness, unemployment, and mental health issues.  All students looking to fundraise for an organization must perform diligent research to verify that the organization is authentic and will utilize any funds for the purpose they claim.  Students should also note that data collection that is not followed by an attempt to change policy or practice does not constitute CAS.  

Other examples include:

• Researching a critical issue as part of a designed advocacy presentation for a club, grade, or other events

• Organizing, collecting, and summarizing Google surveys from classroom teachers to present ideas for change

• Collecting student data on SurveyMonkey, Naviance, or other survey form to effect change within our school

• Designing a fundraiser for the art/music/science department based on a meeting with staff to compile a wish list

• Working alongside IB diploma candidates to design a survey that benefits the local community

Keep in mind that one of your CAS projects is not required to but most likely involves some type of service.  This aspect of CAS may be the single most important one to your college applications, as universities are extremely interested in how well you reach out in the community in which you live as a predictor of your potential value to theirs in the future.  If you need help fundraising to complete your project or you need ideas for Service Projects please see Ms. Nordleaf for help and ideas. I

Not CAS Service:

• Teacher's aides (ask Ms. Nordleaf for more information)

• Any service or community experience that is already part of your program

• Any experience for which you are paid

• Doing simple, repetitive work such as putting books back on shelves

• Work that is not providing a service to those in need

• Informally helping a friend with homework

• Asking for donations without doing something