CAS Stages

Investigation

• Students identify their interests, skills, and talents to be used in considering opportunities for CAS experiences, as well as areas for personal growth and development. Students investigate what they want to do and determine the purpose of their CAS experience. In the case of service, students identify a need they want to address.

For the longest time, our grade has wanted a Senior Sweatshirt, so Shreyaa, Jiwon, and I helped out with the process of it. Jiwon and I helped with the design and Shreyaa did the producing. I like to work alone because I prefer doing things my way, moreover it would be more efficient. But this opportunity gave me the chance to realize what's it like working as a team and needing other people to cooperate with us too. This opportunity could be identified as creativity and service, creativity because Jiwon and I designed the sweatshirt overall look, and service because we are helping out for the sake of wanting to make everyone be okay with the design and also to do something for the grade. It's not easy gathering everyone's opinion and making everyone agree on the same stuff, the work wasn't easy but we got through it, it took a long time though.

Preparation

• Students clarify roles and responsibilities, develop a plan of actions to be taken, identify specified resources and timelines, and acquire any skills as needed to engage in the CAS experience.

My role in this project was to gather everyone's opinions and make sure the design that Jiwon decided on are approved. I used a website that specifically allows users to design their sweatshirts/ hoodies or even t-shirts. At the very beginning, I was included in this project but I later on joined due to how slow the progress is, I thought maybe helping would increase its efficiency of it since it was going not great when Shreyaa was the only one dealing with it. At first, we decided on the design -> gather everyone's opinion -> choose the fabric -> to make everyone choose the name they want to put on -> color choices -> final confirmation.

Demonstration

• Students make explicit what and how they learned and what they have accomplished, for example, by sharing their CAS experience through their CAS portfolio or with others informally or formally. Through demonstration and communication, students solidify their understanding and evoke a response from others.

I have learned that sometimes group work would be more efficient in a way where more people from different friend groups could help each other out gathering the information. Communication or legit forcing was needed when you want to gather everyone's opinion, as a person who's mostly free and is willing to spend time pinning down a person it was quite easy for me to make everyone do cooperate, I may not have the best reputation or be the well-liked one among the grade but I'm very confident on my efficiency where I could make everyone do their job. I don't mind being the bad person if the job could be done faster, also everyone is old enough to realize how organizing is difficult, I appreciate the fact that my classmates understand and is willing to work with us.

Action

• Students implement their idea or plan. This often requires decision-making and problem-solving. Students may work individually, with partners, or in groups.

One major problem we faced was probably beginning the project, duration of it lasted around 2-3 months since a lot of students are focusing on their IB work right now, and they may not be able to spend as much time on other things. Although Shreyaa did take the majority of the work to do so. Decision-making was also a hard part since it's not for sure that everyone would like how the sweatshirt looks.

Reflection

• Students describe what happened, express feelings, generate ideas and raise questions. Reflection can occur at any time during CAS to further understanding, assist with revising plans, learn from the experience, and make explicit connections between their growth, accomplishments, and the learning outcomes for personal awareness. Reflection may lead to new action.

In my opinion, the overall experience was quite nice, although it was difficult trying to get things to move to the next level I've learned a lot about how to work with people and even with my classmates. I feel like I grew to realize how difficult being a part of the student council is especially with the fact that they need to handle so many people with so little time given to them. Afterward, it's also great to see people wearing them and enjoying the sweatshirt's existence in general, moreover, the senior sweatshirt is such an honor because you're wearing things that a senior would have, it's something special to me and I believe it's a valuable memory to have after leaving high school.