CAS project

Student leaders: Wells, ISB, and NIST students

Members: A-In, Franny, and Tanish (Wells)

Title of Project: Color Run

Focus of Project: To assist 'Operation Smile' with their aim to provide funds to give children reconstructive surgery.

Name of Organization: Operation Smile

Contact person at organization: (basically the supervisors)

From: May 31st to February 4th

How we are following the CAS stages:

As of now we are in the early stages of preparation for the run by deciding matters such as how long the distances will be, and prizes, along with getting in contact with other schools and organizations as well.

Investigation:

3: Demonstrate how to initiate and plan a CAS experience

5: Demonstrate the skills and recognize the benefits of working collaboratively

6: Demonstrate engagement with issues of global significance

We had one collaborative meeting with the other two schools as we planned the early stages of the run to have a vague idea how to proceed. Since my two classmates and I had seen the opportunity on the CAS classroom and decided to participate we were given the roles of 'organizers', alongside a few other students from other schools. As I was integrating myself into the marathon community of Bangkok, I had previously attended runs and was interested in being part of the planning process since I had the previous knowledge of the supplies and the amount of space we would need. This intrigued me to join in the 'Color Run' especially since it was orchestrated by other international schools so communication would be easier without the Thai language barrier interfering with our efficiency overall. The team was quite small in the beginning stages, however I didn't have enough knowledge on how to prepare a run all on my own thus the supervisors and other students provided me with a sense of comfort since they were also experienced at community service, and certain members were runners. In addition I wanted to give back to my community, so since this was a run to raise money for children with clef palates I thought it was a perfect opportunity to pitch in.

Preparation:

3: Demonstrate how to initiate and plan a CAS experience

4: Show commitment to and perseverance in CAS experiences

5: Demonstrate the skills and recognize the benefits of working collaboratively

Leading up to the run we would have meetings every 1-2 times a week for about an hour to add to brainstorm what to do and add in discussions and ideas.

Setting Dates: First we had to decide on important dates for when we'd need merchandise delivered, and most importantly when to host the run. Then we had to consider locations and brainstorm sponsors we wanted to get in touch with to support the 'Color Run' for Operation Smile.
Assigning Tasks: After deciding the preliminary decisions, we assigned tasks each week to complete. Some of the tasks me and my teammates from Wells were assigned to do included contacting Operation Smile and speaking to Dean - main organizer of Operation Smile - about sponsors, along with designing the main schedule for the run. As a group however, we came together to brainstorm activities we would want at the run such as a dunk tank, face painting, and a raffle. Following our decisions we then split into smaller groups and worked in pairs/triplets, as seen by my creation of the schedule with Franny where I focused my talents on the design, and she crafted the schedule. Following our completion, we both presented it to our fellow teammates to brainstorm any minor changes to be made overall.

Obstacles:

We had a difficult time deciding on how to separate the people who wanted to run at different distances since wanted everyone to end at the same time. To overcome this we had to collaboratively consider their skills and average times to run. In the end our calculations were about right, and everyone finished on time but considering these logistics was especially difficult since everyone has a different skill level.
It was difficult to find a time to convene at the park since our schools are scattered across Bangkok. Thus, we had to sacrifice some of our time after the ServICE conference to visit the park, although it was exhausting we made good use of our time altogether. Considering each school operated differently, another major struggle was deciding on times to meet each week since some schools would have breaks earlier than others which made it difficult for all of us to be in a Google Meet at the same time, although to combat this we made a document titled 'Color Run Meeting Minutes' to keep everyone who may have missed a meeting up to date.

The Color Run Meeting Minutes Folder:

Color Run Meeting Minutes

Action

1: Identify own strengths and develop areas for growth

4: Show commitment to and perseverance in CAS experiences

5: Demonstrate the skills and recognize the benefits of working collaboratively

6: Demonstrate engagement with issues of global significance

On the day of the run we all arrived early to help with set-up. By the time the sun rose we had runners arriving to the run, although we had been nervous we knew our work would pay off.
We had previously assigned roles of what we were going to do on the day of, and I was assigned to help guide people, and answer any questions about the schedule they may have had. Although I was nervous I had reviewed the schedule beforehand and familiarized myself with the plan, so although I had to communicate with strangers and step out of my comfort zone to see if I could help anyone who looked lost it was made easier by my preparation, and my desire to make the run as enjoyable for all runners. However, I did have a fellow teammate from the run working alongside me which eased my nerves since if I felt I couldn't adequately answer a question she could step in, and vice versa.
When I was on break I found myself at the Wells booth helping the SerWIS club raise funds to donate to Operation Smile as well by selling drinks and ice-cream to runners afterwards, or supporting my friend who was doing announcements for the raffle since this was also one of her first times public speaking at a major event.

Reflection

1: Identify own strengths and develop areas for growth

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

5: Demonstrate the skills and recognize the benefits of working collaboratively

7: Recognize and consider the ethics of choices and actions

From this experience, I realize that I have a passion to give back to my community, thus making this experience worthwhile not only to my experience, but also to raise donations to change the lives of children. Although it was a tedious and painstaking process the outcome of the event was worth it, especially since the proceeds go towards a good cause. Although I had to step out of my comfort zone to take on this process by speaking to new people and organizing (which isn't one of my strongest points) I learned the importance of putting yourself out there for the greater good, and that it isn't as nerve-wracking once you do it enough times since most people are also afraid. Hence, in order to accomplish tasks it is important to initiate, which will ease others as well to participate. Another lesson I learned was that planning is a key component in deciding the success of an event since all possible setbacks must be accounted for to make adequate backup plans. Although it can be tedious, and one may often wonder if planning for the worst is necessary, being prepared is always better than being unready.

To expand on planning, I also learned there are many components to consider when planning this kind of event, such as how to keep track of the runners, and the logo designs. Although I didn't realize this as a runner myself, I now see the painstaking care behind planning any sort of event since I only knew WHAT was needed at these runs, and not the exact quantities nor how budgeting was to be done for all these services.

Overall, it was a very insightful experience and is something I would definitely do again now that I know how to contact sponsors and have improved my schedule-designing skills to not only be eye-catching but also designs to easily convey the necessary information.

Demonstration through images: