IBDP
Successful completion of CAS is a requirement to be awarded the IB diploma.
See the WIS CAS handbook for further details.
The core
Along with TOK and the EE, CAS is a core element of the IBDP. To meet the CAS requirements, students will engage in a range of enjoyable and significant experiences, as well as a CAS project.
CAS enables students to enhance their personal and interpersonal development. A meaningful CAS programme is a journey of discovery of self and others. For many, CAS is profound and life-changing. Each individual student has a different starting point and different needs and goals. A CAS programme is, therefore, individualized according to student interests, skills, values and background.
CAS is not formally assessed so it is required that students maintain a CAS portfolio on Wisdom that documents their progress and development as a result of taking part in the CAS programme. Students need to evidence their participation and upload this to their CAS portfolio.
Students will participate in three formal, documented CAS interviews with their tutor who is their CAS supervisor and complete reflections throughout the process.
CAS experiences
CAS is an 18 month long continuous programme that begins at the start of the DP journey. In this time, students should demonstrate a "significant" contribution to the three strands of CAS with a relative balance between the strands. A "significant" commitment can be defined as something that lasts 6 weeks or a one off event that involved significant planning and preparation.
CAS experiences should:
fit within one or more of the CAS strands
be based on a personal interest, skill, talent, or opportunity for growth
provide opportunities to develop the attributes of the IB learner profile
not be used or included in the student's DP course requirements
address a CAS learning outcome
CAS must be ongoing throughout the whole 18 month period. Students can do the same experience more than once but must address a different learning outcome.
Learning outcomes
Become more aware of your own strengths and areas for growth
Undertake challenges that develop new skills
Discuss, evaluate and plan activities
Persevere in action
Work collaboratively with others
Develop international mindedness through global engagement, multilingualism and intercultural understanding
Consider the ethical implications of your actions
CAS project
Students must be involved in at least one CAS project during their CAS programme. A CAS project:
should be collaborative in nature: between a group of students or with members of the wider community
should be student initiated
must be a minimum of 1 month, from planning to completion
can address any single strand, or combine two or all three strands (creativity, activity and service)
should use the CAS stages as a framework for implementation
should be reflected on, both individually and with others that they are collaborating with
should be risk assessed by students during the planning phase of their CAS project when necessary
If the CAS project is solely a "service project," it is important that the service project involves working alongside community members with ongoing communication, focuses on a meaningful and authentic need, and ensures that the actions taken are respectful and reciprocal. Awareness of the possible impact and consequences of the student's actions should be part of the service project planning process.
The CAS stages (adapted from Cathryn Berger Kaye’s “five stages of service learning”, 2010)
Further guidance on the CAS project
There are 3 characteristics that differentiate a CAS project from a CAS experience:
Collaborative
Problem solving
Decision making
If your project does not enable you to do the 3 things listed above, it is not a CAS project.
How many students can lead a CAS project?
2 or 3 - fewer means it is not collaborative and more means there are too many 'leaders'.
How many Learning Outcomes should the CAS project address?
It should focus on 2 or 3 Learning Outcomes and both of these need to be reflected on in the CAS Project reflection.
CAS on WISDOM
CAS is an ongoing, continuous commitment to a student's holistic development. CAS portfolios must be frequently updated to record a student's participation in CAS.
In each year of the DP, students must be able to evidence at least:
1 creativity experience
1 activity experience
1 service experience
3 pieces of evidence for each experience
Reflections for all of the above
By the end of Year 12 students should have begun, planned or completed their CAS project and evidence of their progress must be on WISDOM.
We use a traffic light system so students can track their progress.