CAS PROGRAM 2023/24
H-FARM International School Venice
What is CAS?
Creativity – arts, and other experiences that involve creative thinking
Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS) is one of the three elements in the IB core Diploma Programme, along with TOK and the Extended Essay. It involves students in a range of enjoyable and significant experiences, as well as a CAS project.
Activity – physical exertion contributing to a healthy lifestyle, complementing academic work elsewhere in the DP.
Service – an unpaid and voluntary exchange that has a learning benefit for the student.
IB Guidance on CAS
Criteria for a successful CAS
The 7 Learning outcomes
Identify strengths & develop areas of growth
Students are able to see themselves as individuals with various abilities and skills, of which some are more developed than others
Undertake challenges & develop new skills
A new challenge may be an unfamiliar experience or an extension of an existing one.
Plan & initiate activities
The planning and initiation of an activity should involve a discussion and evaluation of objectives, responsibilities and expectations.
Show commitment & perseverance
Demonstrate the skills & work collaboratively
Demonstrate engagement with issues of global significance
Consider the ethics of choices and actions
Students demonstrate regular involvement and active engagement as well as dealing with problems when they arise.
Collaboration can be shown in many different activities, including working with coaches, adults and other students.
Shows awareness of issues of global importance and takes concrete and appropriate actions in response to them either locally, nationally or internationally. Think globally act locally.
Shows awareness of the potential and varied consequences of choices and actions in planning and carrying out CAS experiences.
Adding a CAS experience on MB
ManageBac – The Process
Add your experience | |
Await approval | |
CAS Coordinator Approves | |
CAS Coordinator Does Not Approve (seek feedback) | |
Complete your Experience | |
Reflect and upload evidence | |
Request Supervisor Review | |
Experience is marked as complete | |
The CAS Project
The 5 planning stages
Investigation
Students identify their interests, skills and talents & areas for personal growth and development.
Preparation
Students clarify roles and responsibilities, develop a plan of actions to be taken, identify specified resources and timelines & acquire any skills.
Action
Students implement their idea or plan oftentimes through decision-making and problem-solving.
Reflection
Students describe what happened, express feelings, generate ideas, and raise questions.
Demonstration
Students make explicit what and how they learned and what they have accomplished.
From the IB CAS Guide
The self-initiated project on MB & 5 planning stages
Project descriptor based on the 5 stages
Final reflection based on the 5 stages
CAS documents on MB under LINKS
Once you start populating your CAS portfolio with experiences you will have access to the guiding documents listed here.
Is it a CAS experience or CAS project?
Description | CAS Project | C | A | S |
Teach sports from disadvantaged communities | | | ✔ | ✔ |
Conduct mentoring for younger kids in your school | | ✔ | | ✔ |
Planting & maintenance of a garden with members of the local community | | ✔ | | ✔ |
Plan a musical program & perform for hospital patients | ✔ | ✔ | | ✔ |
Design a website/marketing material/communication strategy for a charity | ✔ | ✔ | | ✔ |
Design an awareness campaign on CPR/healthy eating/mental health in your school | ✔ | ✔ | | ✔ |
Reflexion @ the heart of your CAS portfolio
Reflection is central to building a deep and rich experience in CAS. Developing a culture of reflection helps students recognize and understand how to be reflective as well as deciding the best methods and appropriate timing. Student learning is enhanced by reflection on choices and actions.
CAS & DP Subject groups
Diploma Programme Model
CAS is at the heart of the DP.
Students should be able to see connections between CAS and the various subject groups they are studying in the Diploma Programme.
CAS & DP Subject groups examples
Subject Group nb. | Sample CAS Experience/ Project | Creativity | Activity | Service |
Group 1: Language & literature | Producing audio books for the blind | ✔ | | ✔ |
Group 2: Language acquisition | Provide language lessons to those in need | ✔ | | ✔ |
Group 3: Individuals & Societies | Record the oral histories of people living in an elderly residential facility | ✔ | | ✔ |
Group 4: Sciences | Form an astronomy club for younger students | ✔ | | ✔ |
Group 5: Mathematics | Maintain financial accounts for a local charity | | | ✔ |
Group 6: The Arts | Take dance lessons that lead to a theatrical performance | ✔ | ✔ | |
CAS CHECKPOINTS
CAS Checkpoint 1 - November DP1
CAS Checkpoint 2 - May DP1
CAS Checkpoint 3/ Exit Interview
Valid Creativity Experiences
Exploring and extending ideas leading to an original or interpretive product or performance’ This may include visual and performing arts, digital design, writing, film, culinary arts, crafts and composition
Artistic exchange with other schools
Invalid Creativity Experiences
Visiting an exhibition at a Gallery
Playing a musical instrument you played before without adding further goals
Valid Activity Experiences
‘physical exertion contributing to a healthy lifestyle’
Valid Activity experience:
Starting a new sport & setting objectives
Invalid Activity experience:
Attending Y12 PE class
Valid Service Experiences
‘Collaborative and reciprocal engagement with the community in response to an authentic need’
The aim of the “Service” strand is for students to understand their capacity to make a meaningful contribution to their community and society.
You regularly tutor Mathematics to a younger student
Invalid Service Activities:
Valid Service Experiences & Types of Service - I
1. Direct service: Student interaction involves people, the environment or animals.
2. Indirect service: Students verify their actions will benefit the community or environment even if they do not have direct contact with the recipients.
Valid Service Experiences & Types of Service - II
3. Advocacy: Students speak on behalf of a cause or concern to promote action on an issue of public interest.
4. Research: Students collect information through varied sources, analyse data, and report on a topic of importance to influence policy or practice.
Direct service opportunities on campus @ H-Farm I
✒ History: 27 Jan, Intl Day for Commemoration of the Victims of Holocaust => Mrs Geitz
✒ History: Our Streets: Research history behind street names & publish a book for tourist office
✒ Science: Create a Science Weekly Newsletter to send out to MYP/DP students
✒ Psychology/Language: Awareness campaign on Anti-Bullying/Mental Health/Stress
✒ Extended Essay: Create an EE Tips/Guide for DP1s
Direct service opportunities on campus @ H-Farm II
Earth Day School Event
What is the link between: Service & IB Learner profile attributes & H-Farm International School Mission Statement?
H-Farm International School empowers students to be internationally-minded citizens, shaping their own future in a rapidly changing global community. Through innovative learning environments and the development of relationships based on compassion and respect, we enable students to become confident, creative and collaborative.
We are a community of active lifelong learners.
CAS Fair, 25 Sept, 15:00-16:15, The Hall/DP Building
Service Opportunities related to CAS Fair
CAS Testimonials by DP2s & CAS projects
Matrena Uvarova
Emma D’Andria
Sofia Sacchetto
CAS project ideas to implement in our school
Assignment: Identify 3-4 experiences for your portfolio
Questions & Answers?
DP2 Portfolio requirements