Creativity, Action and Service (CAS)

Successful completion of CAS is mandatory for IB Diploma candidates!
For specific information about CAS requirements, please contact:

Policies & Procedures

There are new CAS forms for Juniors and Seniors.  They are on the website under IB Documents.

Philosophy

The CAS requirement takes seriously the importance of life outside the world of scholarship, providing a refreshing counterbalance to the academic self-absorption some may feel within a demanding school program. Participation in theater productions, sports, and community service activities encourages young people to share their energies and special talents while developing awareness, concern, and the ability to work cooperatively with others. The IB goal of educating the whole person and fostering a more compassionate citizenry comes alive in an immediate way when students reach beyond themselves and their books.

The philosophy is based on several assumptions:

• Education does not begin or end in the classroom or examination hall, and the most essential elements of education may exist outside of both.
• An international education must go well beyond the provision of information and is involved in the development of attitudes and values which transcend barriers of race, class, religion, gender, or politics.
• Service to the community (local, national, or international) is a complement to intellectual development and the academic curriculum.
• IB schools have a special challenge and opportunity to establish links with the local community and, by doing so, to further international understanding.
• Creativity and action should play an equal part with service in any CAS program. CAS should: challenge and extend the individual student; develop a spirit of discovery and self-reliance; encourage new skills and interests; and inspire a sense of responsibility towards all members of the community.

Types of Activities

Activities should be active; a preponderance of passive pursuits, such as attending films or viewing art, should be avoided. Students should also avoid too many lessons such as violin or tennis instruction. Emphasis should be placed on the development of new skills, not simply on practicing those already acquired. Students are encouraged to propose and plan their own activities for inclusion in their portfolios. Many of the most successful CAS activities are “projects” which combine creativity, action, and service as a total CAS experience. The project approach is being adopted increasingly by schools worldwide as it is seen to be closer to the spirit of CAS.  You will hear more about “Sharing Our Community” theme from IB later this fall—watch for announcemnts and opportunities to connect to other schools.

Creativity is interpreted as imaginatively as possible to cover a wide range of arts and other activities, and to include creativity by the individual student in designing and carrying out service projects.

Action can include participation in expeditions, individual and team sports, and physical training. It can also include carrying out creative and service projects, as well as training for service.

Service is community or social service; it can include environmental and international projects.

Requirements

Pre-IB freshmen and sophomores must accrue a minimum of 50 hours over the course of the two years. Hours should be evenly divided among the areas of creativity, action, and service.

IB juniors and seniors must accrue a minimum of 150 hours during the two years of the IB program. Time should be evenly distributed among the areas of creativity, action, and service.

An IB student is expected to devote the equivalent of 3 to 4 hours per week to CAS; however, a student may take the project approach, using concentrated periods during the two years. No single activity can count for more than 35 hours.  You must have hours every year, throughout the year.  Don’t be afraid to try something new.

Activity Evaluation Forms

CAS Activity Evaluation Forms are available under IB Documents on this website. Completed forms should be turned in to Mrs. Robert’s desk, the IB secretary. Don’t limit your answers to the space provided on the form.  Really help us understand what you did and what you gained from each activity. The key is HOW YOU ANSWER the questions. Students may also want to include pictures, certificates, etc.

A written, critical self-evaluation of personal performance following the criteria on the forms, is required from students for each activity. The self-evaluation process encourages the development of critical thinking skills and enhances students’ awareness of their own strengths and weaknesses. Self-evaluations should be reflective rather than descriptive, narrative reports. A Leader’s Evaluation is also necessary for each activity.

Important Deadline Information

Students need to be working steadily on achieving CAS hours. CAS Activity Evaluations (the forms to be filled out after each activity for CAS credit) must be turned in throughout the year. It is essential that the 50 total hours for freshmen and sophomores be completed by Spring Break of the sophomore year.

The 150 total hours for juniors and seniors must be completed by Spring Break of the senior year. Failure to submit a full 150 CAS hours will deny you the opportunity to earn your IB Diploma.

Each student must write a final self-evaluation at the end of each two-year CAS period. This final report, like the individual activity self-evaluations, should relate closely to the performance criteria and should be a critical reflection on the student’s entire CAS experience for that two-year period. These will be around April 15th of the sophomore or senior year.