IB CAS (Creativity, Action, and Service)

    What is CAS?

    Creativity: arts and other experiences that involve creative thinking
    Creative activities should have a definite goal or outcome. They should be planned and evaluated like all CAS activities. This can present something of a challenge where, for example, a student is a dedicated instrumental musician. It would be artificial to rule that something that is both a pleasure and a passion for the student could not be considered part of their CAS experience. How, though, can it help to fulfill CAS learning outcomes? Consider the second principle: personal challenge—tasks must extend the student and be achievable in scope.

    Perhaps the instrumental musician can learn a particularly difficult piece, or a different style of playing, in order to perform for an audience. The context might be a fund‑raising activity, or the student might give a talk to younger children about the instrument, with musical illustrations. Appropriate CAS activities are not merely “more of the same”—more practice, more concerts with the school band, and so on. This excludes, for example, routine practice performed by IB music or dance students (as noted earlier), but does not exclude music, dance or art activities that these students are involved with outside the Diploma Programme subject coursework.

    Action: physical exertion contributing to a healthy lifestyle, complementing academic work elsewhere in the Diploma Programme.

    Similar considerations apply here. An outstanding athlete will not stop training and practicing in order to engage in some arbitrary, invented CAS physical activity. However, modern approaches to sports coaching emphasize the notion of the reflective practitioner, so it is possible for the athletics coach to incorporate relevant CAS principles and practice into training schedules for the benefit of the student. Setting goals, and planning and reflecting on their achievement, is vital. “Extending” the student may go further, for example, to asking them to pass on some of their skills and knowledge to others. If their chosen sport is entirely individual, perhaps they should try a team game, in order to experience the different pleasures and rewards on offer.

    Some excellent “action” activities are not sporting or competitive but involve physical challenge by demanding endurance (such as long‑distance trekking) or the conquest of personal fears (for example, rock climbing). It is important that schools carefully assess the risks involved in such activities.

    Alternatively, a student’s “action” may be physical exertion as part of a service activity, perhaps in a project as outlined in the section “Projects, themes, concepts”.

    In CAS, action relates specifically to physical activity.

    Service: an unpaid and voluntary exchange that has a learning benefit for the student. The rights, dignity and autonomy of all those involved are respected.

    It is essential that service activities have learning benefits for the student. Otherwise, they are not experiential learning (hence not CAS) and have no particular claim on students’ time. This rules out mundane, repetitive activities, as well as “service” without real responsibility. A learning benefit that enriches the student personally is in no way inconsistent with the requirement that service be unpaid and voluntary.

    The general principle means, among other things, that the identification of needs, towards which a service activity will be directed, has to involve prior communication and full consultation with the community or individual concerned. This approach, based on a collaborative exchange, maximizes both the potential benefits to the recipients and the learning opportunities for the students.

    Ideally, such prior communication and consultation will be face‑to‑face and will involve the students themselves. Where this is not possible, schools need to work with appropriate partners or intermediaries, such as NGOs (non‑governmental organizations), and make every effort to ensure both that the service provided is appropriate, and that the students are able to understand the human consequences of their work, for both individuals and communities.

     

    The nature of creativity, action, service

    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. It involves students in a range of activities alongside their academic studies throughout the Diploma Programme.
    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.
    For student development to occur, CAS should involve: 

    • real, purposeful activities, with significant outcomes
    • personal challenge—tasks must extend the student and be achievable in scope
    • thoughtful consideration, such as planning, reviewing progress, reporting
    • reflection on outcomes and personal learning.

    All proposed CAS activities need to meet these four criteria. It is also essential that they do not replicate other parts of the student’s Diploma Programme work.
    Concurrency of learning is important in the Diploma Programme. Therefore, CAS activities should continue on a regular basis for as long as possible throughout the programme, and certainly for at least 18 months.
    Successful completion of CAS is a requirement for the award of the IB Diploma. CAS is not formally assessed but students need to document their activities and provide evidence that they have achieved eight key learning outcomes. A school’s CAS programme is regularly monitored by the relevant regional office.
     

    CAS in a NUTSHELL

    What do you need to do to complete the CAS requirement?
    • complete real, purposeful activities (outside of the school day)
    • challenge yourself
    • self-review
    • plan
    • do
    • report
    • reflect on outcomes and personal learning
    • complete approximately 150 hours from the end of grade 10 until end of March in grade 12 (specific dues dates to be announced)

    • complete approximately 50 hours in each category (hour counting is not encouraged but balance, range, and variety are key)
      -Creativity – arts and other experiences that involve creative thinking
      -Action – physical exertion contributing to a healthy lifestyle
      -Service – unpaid and voluntary exchange that has a learning benefit

    • activities should:
      -be self-initiated (BUT there will be some school based opportunities and announcements about available activities)
      -vary in length and in amount of commitment (none should be trivial)
      -include ONE project involving teamwork that integrates two or more area of creativity, action, service and is of significant duration (global importance/IB themes: “think globally, act locally” and/or “our shared humanity”)

    • keep records of activities and achievements (including a list of principal activities undertaken)
    • show evidence that you have accomplished the 8 learning outcomes (see page 5 in the packet)
    • complete TWO interim reviews with the CAS advisor during grade 11 (dates to be announced)
    • complete ONE interim review with the CAS advisor during grade 12 (date to be announced)
    • complete a FINAL review with the CAS advisor (date to be announced)