Creativity, action, service (CAS) is at the heart of the Diploma Programme. It is one of the three essential elements in every student’s Diploma Programme experience. CAS enables students to enhance their personal and interpersonal development through experiential learning. At the same time, it provides an important counterbalance to the academic pressures of the rest of the Diploma Programme. A good CAS programme should be both challenging and enjoyable, a personal journey of self-discovery. Each individual student has a different starting point, and therefore different goals and needs, but for many their CAS activities include experiences that are profound and life-changing. The emphasis in CAS is on helping students develop their own identities, in accordance with the ethical principles embodied in the IB mission statement and the IB learner profile.
Basics of CAS
- CAS meanscreativity, action and serviceand is at the core of the IB Diploma Programme.
- At least one of these activities must involveteamwork and at least two of the three elementsof CAS.
- All of your activities must be achallenge, be new to you in some way, be initiated and/or planned by you and be meaningful to you.
- You mustdocumentyour activities.
- You mustreflecton your activities.
- You mustprovethat you have achieved the eight learning outcomes defined by IB.
CAS Learning outcomes:
As a result of their CAS experience, there should be evidence that students have:
INCREASED THEIR AWARENESS OF THEIR OWN STRENGTHS AND AREAS FOR GROWTH
They are able to see themselves as individuals with various skills and abilities, some more developed than others, and understand that they can make choices about how they wish to move forward.
UNDERTAKEN NEW CHALLENGES
A new challenge may be an unfamiliar activity, or an extension to an existing one.
PLANNED AND INITIATED ACTIVITIES
Planning and initiation will often be in collaboration with others. It can be shown in activities that are part of larger projects, for example, ongoing school activities in the local community, as well as in small student led activities.
WORKED COLLABORATIVELY WITH OTHERS
Collaboration can be shown in many different activities such as team sports, playing music in a band, or helping in a kindergarten. At least one project, involving collaboration and the integration of at least two of creativity, action and service, is required.
SHOWN PERSERVERENCE AND COMMITMENT IN THEIR ACTIVITIES
At a minimum, this implies attending regularly and accepting a share of the responsibility for dealing with problems that arise in the course of activities.
ENGAGED WITH ISSUES OF GLOBAL IMPORTANCE
Students may be involved in international projects but there are many global issues that can be acted upon locally or nationally (for example, environmental concerns, caring for the elderly, etc.).
CONSIDERED THE ETHICAL IMPLICATIONS OF THEIR ACTIONS
Ethical decisions arise in almost any CAS activity (for example, on the sports field, in musical composition, in relationships with others involved in service activities). Evidence of thinking about ethical issues can be shown in various ways, including journal entries and conversations with the CAS coordinator.
DEVELOPED NEW SKILLS
As with new challenges, new skills may be shown in activities that the student has not previously undertaken, or in increased expertise in an established area.
All eight outcomes must be present for a student to complete the CAS requirement. Some may be demonstrated many times, in a variety of activities, but completion requires only that there is some evidence for every outcome.