CREATIVITY,

ACTIVITY, SERVICE
(CAS) HANDBOOK

2020 -22

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Welcome

Dear students,

Congratulations on your decision to embark on the Aga Khan Academy Hyderabad International
Baccalaureate journey! The IB program has become an integral part of the culture and curriculum of the
Academy. We are very proud to offer this program to our students, and we are glad that you have
committed to the IB tradition of excellence. One of the core components of the IB program is the
Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS) requirement.
This is your handbook for the Academy CAS program. Here you will find all the information you need
to carry out your program successfully. Make sure you read this handbook carefully. The Creativity,
Activity, Service program is an experience-based personal development program. It is designed by you,
with the support of the CAS Coordinator. My role is to guide you through this process, listen to your
questions, and to get to know you. You can drop in at my office any time.

In the Handbook you will find the explanation and regulations for CAS and other useful materials. When
you create your CAS portfolio you can document it completely online on Managebac through uploads.
You are welcome to use any of the established social media tools (Wordpress, Blogger, Twitter, ,
Instagram), alongside Managebac, since you can link these together.

We are very proud of our IB students, and look forward to working with you! Please contact me with
any questions or concerns.

I wish you an inspiring year!

Sincerely,

Patil Venkat Reddy

CAS Coordinator
venkat.reddy@agakhanacademies.org

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Table of Contents

Mission Statements – IB & Academy 4

The Aga Khan Academies’ Learner Profile 5

Core of the Diploma Programme 6

Aims of the CAS Programme 6

CAS & Diploma Programme 7

The Nature of CAS 8

CAS Learning outcomes 9

People Involved and their Responsibilities 10

Risk Assessment 12

The Requirements for a Complete CAS Programme 12

Five CAS Stages 14

What is a CAS Experience? 15

CAS Project Guidelines 16

What is Service Learning? 19

CAS Opportunities 21

Reflection 22

Activities that cannot be considered as CAS 24

CAS Timeline 25 - 26

Files and forms on Managebac CAS folder 27

Bibliography 27

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IB Mission Statement
The International Baccalaureate (IB) aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people
who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect.
To this end the organization works to develop challenging programs of international education and
rigorous assessment. These programs encourage students across the world to become active,
compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also
be right.

The Aga Khan Academy Hyderabad Mission Statement

The Academy will identify and nurture exceptional young people from any background with the
potential to become effective, ethical leaders. It will be a joyful community of lifelong, fearless learners
who are culturally-rooted and internationally-minded. Academy graduates will be reflective,
compassionate, adventurous and creative citizens empowered as stewards to make a positive
contribution in a changing world.

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The Aga Khan Academies’ Learner Profile
The Aga Khan Academies have developed a curriculum within the framework of the International
Baccalaureate programmes. As such, the attributes of our learner profile extend those of the IB Learner
Profile. At Aga Khan Academies we strive to be:

Inquirers We nurture our curiosity, developing skills for inquiry and research. We know how to
learn independently and with others. We learn with enthusiasm and sustain our love of
learning throughout life.
Knowledgeable We develop and use conceptual understanding, exploring knowledge across a range of
disciplines. We engage with issues and ideas that have local and global significance.
Thinkers We use critical and creative thinking skills to analyse and take responsible action on
complex problems. We exercise initiative in making reasoned, ethical decisions.
Communicators We express ourselves confidently and creatively in more than one language and in
many ways. We collaborate effectively, listening carefully to the perspectives of other
individuals and groups.
Principled We act with integrity and honesty, with a strong sense of fairness and justice, and with
respect for the dignity and rights of people everywhere. We take responsibility for our
actions and their consequences.
Open-minded We critically appreciate our own cultures and personal histories, as well as the values
and traditions of others. We seek and evaluate a range of points of view, and we are
willing to grow from the experience.
Caring We show empathy, compassion and respect. We have a commitment to service, and
we act to make a positive difference in the lives of others and in the world around us.
Courageous We approach uncertainty with forethought and determination; we work independently
and cooperatively to explore new ideas and innovative strategies. We are resourceful
and resilient in the face of challenges and change.
Balanced We understand the importance of balancing different aspects of our lives - intellectual,
physical, emotional and spiritual - to achieve well-being for ourselves and others. We
recognize our interdependence with other people and with the world in which we live.
Reflective We thoughtfully consider the world and our own ideas and experience. We work to
understand our strengths and weaknesses in order to support our learning and
personal development.
*Leaders We understand that multiple perspectives will allow us to make better decisions, and
seek opportunities to work with a variety of others. We perceive and anticipate needs
and problems, and are able to motivate ourselves and others to tackle problems,
confidently and cooperatively.
*Stewards We understand the interconnectedness of communities, striving to create harmony in
our environment, while considering the needs of all members. We are motivated to
leave the world a better place.

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Core of the Diploma Programme
The three elements of the Diploma Programme core (TOK, CAS and the extended essay) were
introduced by the original curriculum designers of the Diploma Programme as a way to educate the
whole person. The core consists of three separate elements, but links and relationships are evident
between them.

Strongly committed to the principle of developing the whole person, the IB believes that this is best
achieved by identifying and developing clearer and more explicit aims for and relationships between
TOK, CAS and the extended essay.

Coherence in the core is achieved by:

 supporting the interconnectedness of learning

 supporting concurrency of learning
 supporting the IB continuum of education and the learner profile
 supporting a broader view of the subject disciplines.

Coherence does not mean similarity. Coherence in this context refers to the three elements of the core
complementing each other and working together to achieve common aims. All three elements of the
core should be grounded in three coherent aims:

 Support, and be supported by, the academic disciplines

 Foster international—mindedness
 Develop self-awareness and a sense of identity

Aims of the CAS Programme

The CAS program aims to develop students who are:

 Reflective thinkers – they understand their own strengths and limitations, identify goals and
devise strategies for personal growth

 Willing to accept new challenges and new roles

 Aware of themselves as members of local and global communities with responsibilities towards
each other and the environment

 Active participants in sustained, collaborative projects

 Balanced – they enjoy and find significance in living a life which engages their intellectual, physical
and spiritual selves.

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CAS and the Diploma Programme
CAS experiences can be associated with each of the subject groups of the Diploma Programme.
Teachers can assist students in making links between their subjects and their CAS experiences where
appropriate. This will provide students with relevance in both their subject learning and their CAS
learning through purposeful discussion and real experiences. It will motivate and challenge the students,
strengthen subject understanding and knowledge, and allow students to enjoy different approaches to
their subjects. However, CAS experiences must be distinct from, and may not be included or used, in
the student’s Diploma course requirements.

Each subject group of the Diploma Programme can contribute towards CAS. The examples below are
suggestions only; teachers and students can create their own authentic connections where possible.

Group 1 students could engage in creative writing, produce audiobooks for the blind or write a movie
and produce it.
Group 2 students could provide language lessons to those in need, develop language guides using
technology or raise awareness of the culture of the language being studied through a website or other
forms of communication.
Group 3 students could record the oral histories of people living in elderly residential facilities and
create family memoirs, create a social enterprise addressing a community need or collaborate on a
community garden.
Group 4 students could form an astronomy club for younger students, help maintain a nature reserve
or promote physical participation in “walk to school” groups.
Group 5 students could teach younger children to overcome mathematical challenges, maintain financial
accounts for a local charity or plan a mathematics scavenger hunt at school to highlight the importance
of mathematics in everyday life.
Group 6 students could take dance lessons that lead to a theatrical performance, participate in a
community art exhibition or community initiatives (such as performances or photo exhibits) for
hospitals or aged-care facilities.

CAS and Theory of Knowledge

Both CAS and Theory of Knowledge (TOK) emphasize the importance of reflection and developing self-
awareness. CAS reflection flows from experience, from thinking about how an activity feels and what it
means to everyone involved. In TOK the approach to knowledge issues tend more towards the
abstract and theoretical. However, the links can nevertheless be very close. For instance, a difficult
decision about how to behave and engage with another person or group in a CAS activity might be
informed by a TOK consideration of analogous situations; conversely, such a decision might provide a
concrete example to illustrate an ethical dilemma in the context of a TOK discussion. At a more general
level, students can be encouraged to compare their learning in CAS with their subject learning and to
consider how one may help the other. TOK lessons may provide an opportunity for extended
discussions of the values and philosophy of CAS and student responses to these.

CAS and Extended Essay

Many Diploma students get inspired by their CAS experiences to write their Extended Essay too! This is

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why the CORE of the Diploma program works together. AKDN internships are a great way to connect
CAS with primary research in local communities to support your EE e.g. World Studies.

The Nature of CAS

“…if you believe in something, you must not just think or talk or write, but must act.” (Peterson 2003)

CAS is at the heart of the Diploma Programme. With its holistic approach, CAS is designed to
strengthen and extend students’ personal and interpersonal learning from the PYP and MYP. CAS is
organized around the three strands of creativity, activity and service defined as follows:

 Creativity— exploring and extending ideas leading to an original or interpretive product or

performance
 Activity— challenging yourself through physical exertion and living a healthy lifestyle while
pushing yourself to new limits
 Service— collaborative and reciprocal engagement with the community in response to an
authentic need

CAS enables students to enhance their personal and interpersonal development through experiential and
service learning and at the same time provides an important counterbalance to the rigors of the
academic program. A good CAS activity should be both challenging and enjoyable which is ultimately a
personal journey of self-discovery and a tool to develop leadership skills.

CAS should involve real purposeful activities with significant outcomes. It should be a personal challenge
that extends the student and be achievable in scope. CAS projects should be thoughtfully considered
which include planning, reviewing progress and reflecting on the outcomes achieved.

As a shining beacon of our values, CAS enables students to demonstrate attributes of the IB learner
profile in real and practical ways, to grow as unique individuals and to recognize their role in relation to
others. Students develop skills, attitudes and dispositions through a variety of individual and group
experiences that provide students with opportunities to explore their interests and express their
passions, personalities and perspectives. CAS complements a challenging academic programme in a
holistic way, providing opportunities for self-determination, collaboration, accomplishment and
enjoyment.

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.
Successful completion of CAS is a requirement for the award of the IB Diploma. While not formally
assessed, students reflect on their CAS experiences and provide evidence in their CAS portfolios of
achieving the seven learning outcomes.

Completion of CAS is based on student achievement of the seven CAS learning outcomes. Through their
CAS portfolio, students provide the school with evidence demonstrating achievement of each learning

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outcome. Students engage in CAS experiences involving one or more of the three CAS strands. A CAS
experience can be a single event or may be an extended series of events.

Further, students undertake a CAS project of at least one month’s duration that challenges students to
show initiative, demonstrate perseverance, and develop skills such as collaboration, problem-solving, and
decision-making. The CAS project can address any single strand of CAS, or combine two or all three
strands.

Students use the CAS stages (investigation, preparation, action, reflection and demonstration) as a
framework for CAS experiences and the CAS project. There are three formal documented interviews
students must have with their CAS coordinator. The first interview is at the beginning of the CAS
programme, the second at the end of the first year, and the third interview is at the end of the CAS
programme.

CAS emphasizes reflection which is central to building a deep and rich experience in CAS. Reflection
informs students’ learning and growth by allowing students to explore ideas, skills, strengths, limitations
and areas for further development and consider how they may use prior learning in new contexts. CAS
is a medium for personal and social development. It is a framework for experiential learning, designed to
engage students in new challenges.

CAS Learning Outcomes

CAS experience as a whole, including reflections should include evidence that you have met the seven
learning outcomes. Some may be demonstrated many times, in a variety of experiences, but
completion requires only that there is some evidence for every outcome.

1. Identify own strengths and develop areas for growth

Thinking about your own strengths and qualities: how did an activity help your self-awareness
about your existing qualities and skills? Which of your own existing skills and qualities could and
should you improve and develop in the future?

2. Demonstrate that challenges have been undertaken, developing new skills in the
process
How was an activity a new challenge to you? What was unfamiliar or difficult about it, to make it
a challenge for you? Which completely new skill did you develop, or which existing skill did you
significantly improve, as a consequence of a CAS experience?

3. Demonstrate how to initiate and plan a CAS experience

You can articulate the stages from conceiving an idea to executing a plan for a CAS experience
or series of CAS experiences. This may be accomplished in collaboration with other
participants. You show your knowledge and awareness by building on a previous experience or
by launching a new idea or process. Was an activity you are reflecting on planned and initiated
by you right from the start of that activity? Did you initiate that activity or did you join an
activity initiated by someone else?

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 4. Demonstrate the skills and recognize the benefits of working collaboratively
You should be able to identify, demonstrate, and critically discuss the benefits and challenges of
collaboration gained through CAS experiences. You can ask yourself: Did I work alone or did I
collaborate with others? How did the collaboration go – what did I observe? (Note: one project,
involving collaboration and the integration of at least two of creativity, activity and service is
required.)

5. Show perseverance 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. Did I show perseverance and
commitment while doing a regular, weekly CAS activity, or was my participation irregular and
occasional? Did I accept a share of the responsibility for dealing with problems that arise in the
course of activities?

6. Engaged with issues of global importance

If you are able to join international projects (for example during holidays) you may but there are
many global issues at a local or national level as well (i.e., environmental concerns, caring for the
elderly). Think global, act local!

7. Recognize and consider the ethics of choices and actions

Ethical decisions arise in almost any CAS experience (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.

*All seven outcomes must be met, along with a balanced amount of creativity, activity and
service experiences, for a student to complete the CAS requirement. In order to meet these goals,
students should be conducting a new CAS experience all through the DP programme over 18 months.

People Involved and their Responsibilities

Responsibilities of the Student

Your personal CAS programme should genuinely engage you and you should feel that you “own” it. It
should be built on experiences that are meaningful to you and to others. With the guidance of the
Academy, you are given the opportunity to choose your own experiences and to initiate new ones as
appropriate.

You are required to:

 Self-review at the beginning of your CAS experience and to set personal goals for what you
hope to achieve through your CAS programme
 Plan, do and reflect. That is, plan your activities, carry them out and reflect on what you have
learned

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  Undertake at least two formal interviews with the CAS coordinator per year
 Take part in a range of experiences, including at least one project. You should have initiated
some of these experiences yourself
 Keep a record of your experiences and achievements
 Show evidence of achievement in the seven CAS learning outcomes.

How you should carry out an experience

It goes without saying that every activity should be carried out by you in a responsible way. When you
commit yourself to a club, organization or community project, people will rely on you. Do not let them
down! If you cannot make it, you are responsible for informing the supervisor in advance. If you are
giving up an important role, make sure someone else takes your place. Most importantly, you represent
the Aga Khan Academy Hyderabad. The way you behave and participate will reflect upon all of us. When
you are not able to keep a promise or commitment, we expect you to communicate this promptly and
professionally. The same applies to missing a club meeting or not being able to attend a session for
whatever reason. In the world beyond school, you will earn plenty of positive feedback for
communicating on time and in a respectful manner about your choices and other commitments. The
lack of this skill causes a lot of confusion and frustration for the people expecting you.

The responsibilities of the coordinator

The Academy and the CAS coordinator should:
 Help you identify your personal and social goals for CAS
 Support you in designing your CAS program
 Monitor your progress online and in face-to-face meetings
 Give you feedback and coach you to overcome challenges
 Review your portfolios (Managebac and other) ahead of the CAS interviews
 Monitor the range and balance of experiences that you are undertaking
 Support you in your consideration of ethical concerns
 Help you to make connections (for example, between a CAS experiences and a school subject,
or between a local activity and a global concern).

Activity Supervisors responsibilities

This can be anyone who is an expert or in charge of a particular place or event or organization. It is
someone who can verify and sign your CAS reflections to prove that you have been attending the
activity and meeting the objectives and the learner profile (e.g. an enrichment activity facilitator, a staff
member of an organization). An activity supervisor is responsible for:
 Monitoring attendance
 Providing guidance and support related to the activity
 Alerting the CAS Coordinator to any problem
 Reporting, as required, on student performance
 Assessing the risks involved in some experiences
 Creating mechanisms for meaningful and creative reflection on the experience
 Filling out and signing the Supervisor Form prior to the experience and the feedback form two
weeks after an experience has finished

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Parent responsibilities
 Familiarize yourself with the CAS requirements
 Discuss the requirement/opportunity with your child
 Share your own volunteer experiences with your child and reflect on what you have given and
gained through volunteering
 Explore your child interests and look through the listing of possible volunteer activities together
 Be willing to get involved – come to games, plays, and concerts; volunteer for various IB
committees and work groups

Risk Assessment

The IB and the learner profile attributes encourage students to be risk-takers; however, this does not
mean that students or teachers should be encouraged to take unnecessary risks or place themselves in
danger. The key to safely taking risks is having the ability to fully understand the nature of the risk being
taken and how to mitigate potentially dangerous outcomes where necessary. As such, schools will strike
the right balance between protecting students from risk and allowing students to participate in CAS
experiences.

When planning a CAS experience in which participants may be exposed to hazards, it is important that
risks are identified and assessed. The Academy provides the following guidelines on assessing the
potential risk of a CAS experience.

 Schools and teachers should ensure adequate systems are in place to assess and mitigate the risk
of any CAS experience.
 The AKA Hyderabad ensures that the staff organizing and supervising CAS experiences are fully
supported throughout the risk assessment process.
 In order to prevent risk assessment from becoming a barrier to CAS experiences, schools have
developed risk assessment systems that are proportionate to the level of risk. Although CAS
experiences must be properly planned and assessed, experiences presenting a lower-risk level
should be quicker and easier to assess and organize than higher-risk experiences.
 Where risks are identified, the Academy will ensure that all potential stakeholders (colleagues,
students and parents) are informed of both the risk and any precautions or contingency plans
that will be implemented in order to minimize the risk.

The Requirements for a Complete CAS Programme

To successfully complete the program, you need to meet the following seven requirements:

1) Regular, habitual participation: The CAS program is designed to create enjoyable,

meaningful, regular experiences for you. It is expected that you spend 2.5 hours a week (on

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 average) with your CAS engagements. CAS experiences should be challenging, set to develop
new skills and of course fun!

2) Balanced portfolio: You are expected to create a balance between the three “strands” of
creativity, activity and service. A balanced portfolio means that the time spent on a single strand
does not exceed 40% of your whole program. As a rule of thumb, you should aim for each
experience to last at least 3 months. You should also leave some time unplanned for
spontaneous opportunities that come up (a hike, a favour, a creative idea). All experiences
should be documented in a timely manner. Keep track of everything!!

3) An 18 month-long program: The program lasts 18 months. In other words, you cannot
finish earlier.

4) Three formal interviews with the CAS coordinator per DP year:

Aims of the formal interviews:
 DP1 – 1st interview Oct /Nov: Together we discuss the programme you made for CAS
including the relation to the learning outcomes and the importance of reflections. We
also address the start of your portfolio.
 DP1 – 2nd interview April/ May: During this interview we assess the progress of the
student’s CAS experiences and CAS learning outcomes is monitored. Progress on CAS
project is also monitored. CAS stages and reflections for experiences are assessed.
 DP2 – 3rd and final interview in Feb: student outlines how they have achieved the
learning outcomes for CAS. Students discuss and evaluate their overall CAS programme
and reflect on personal growth. The student's CAS portfolio is used as reference in this
interview. This interview may provide the opportunity for discussion on development of
the CAS programme for future CAS students based on this student's personal
experience.

5) CAS project: At least one (and at most 2) of your experiences per DP year must meet the
criteria for a project. The criteria are the following:
 Collaboration with peers (other IB students)
 It has to combine at least two “strands” of Creativity, Activity and Service
 Show true impact
 Explicitly using the CAS stages as a planning and reflection tool and should be carefully
documented
 A minimum of one month from planning to completion
 CAS project form submitted at the beginning to the CAS Coordinator

6) The Online Portfolio and the Good Number of Reflections

Your Managebac (MB) portfolio is the touch base between the coordinator and you. You are
expected to do the house-keeping regularly. We especially place an emphasis on properly setting
up a CAS experience. We also expect you to use video, digital photography, and / or other

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 creative evidence in the portfolio. You are allowed to work on paper if that gives you wings,
however, later on the essential aspects must be scanned and uploaded. There is no “Good
Number of Reflections”. You have to develop your sense of judgment to know when you are
reflecting in an inspired fashion and when you are doing it only to please somebody else.
Inspired reflections are welcome, because they will show you how you have grown. Naturally,
we expect you to go beyond just writing down facts.

7) Learning Outcomes and IB Learner Profile Features: Your CAS experiences need to
meet learning outcomes. Your reflections are expected to show a connection between your
goals, learning outcomes and the IB learner profile. Keep in mind “think global, act local!”

Five CAS Stages

The five CAS stages are as follows.

1. Investigation: Students identify their interests, skills and talents to be used in considering
opportunities for CAS experiences, as well as areas for personal growth and development.
Students investigate what they want to do and determine the purpose for their CAS
experience. In the case of service, students identify a need they want to address.

2. Preparation: Students clarify roles and responsibilities, develop a plan of actions to be

taken, identify specified resources and timelines, and acquire any skills as needed to engage
in the CAS experience.

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 3. Action: Students implement their idea or plan. This often requires decision-making and
problem solving. Students may work individually, with partners, or in groups.

4. Reflection: Students describe what happened, express feelings, generate ideas, and raise
questions. Reflection can occur at any time during CAS to further understanding, to assist
with revising plans, to learn from the experience, and to make explicit connections between
their growth, accomplishments, and the learning outcomes for personal awareness.
Reflection may lead to new action.

5. Demonstration: Students make explicit what and how they learned and what they have
accomplished, for example, by sharing their CAS experience through their CAS portfolio or
with others in an informal or formal manner. Through demonstration and communication,
students solidify their understanding and evoke response from others.

What is a CAS experience?

A CAS experience is a specific event in which the student engages with one or more of the three CAS
strands. CAS experience can be a single event or may be an extended series of events. A CAS project is
a collaborative series of sequential CAS experiences lasting at least one month.

Typically, a student’s CAS programme combines planned/unplanned singular and ongoing experiences.
All are valuable and may lead to personal development. However, a meaningful CAS programme must
be more than unplanned/singular experiences. A series of planned CAS experiences are recommended
for a more engaging CAS programme.

CAS experiences may incorporate one or more of the CAS strands. For example:
 Going for a mountain hike could be a singular experience within the “Activity” strand.

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  A student plans a number of visits to a nursing home resulting in a series of CAS experiences
within the “Service” strand.
 A group of students plan and stage a basketball tournament for the local community, resulting in
a series of CAS experiences involving the strands of “Activity” and “Service”.

Guidelines to CAS experiences

The CAS coordinator assists students in understanding what may or may not be a CAS experience.
There are four guidelines that will be applied to any proposed CAS experience. A CAS experience must:
 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 Diploma course requirements

To further assist students in deciding on a CAS experience, the following questions may be useful for
students to consider.
 Will the experience be enjoyable?
 Does the experience allow for development of personal interests, skills and/or talents?
 What new possibilities or challenges could the experience provide?
 What might be the possible consequences of your CAS experience for you, others and the
environment?
 Which CAS learning outcomes may be addressed?

CAS Project Guidelines

A CAS project is a collaborative, well-considered series of sequential CAS experiences, engaging
students in one or more of the CAS strands of creativity, activity, and service. CAS students must be
involved in at least one CAS project during their CAS programme.
The primary purpose of the CAS project is to ensure participation in sustained collaboration. Through
this level of engagement students may discover the benefits of teamwork and of achievements realized
through an exchange of ideas and abilities. A CAS project challenges students to show initiative,
demonstrate perseverance, and develop skills such as those of cooperation, problem-solving and
decision-making.
A CAS project involves collaboration between a group of students or with members of the wider
community. Students work as part of a team, with all members being contributors. A CAS project offers
students the opportunity to be responsible for, or to initiate, a part of or the entire CAS project.
Working collaboratively also provides opportunities for individual students to enhance and integrate
their personal interests, skills and talents into the planning and implementation of CAS projects.

All CAS projects should use the CAS stages as a framework for implementation to ensure that all
requirements are met.

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A CAS project can address any single strand of CAS, or combine two or all three strands. The following
examples are provided to help generate further ideas without limiting the scope and direction of a CAS
project.

Creativity: A student group plans, designs and creates a mural.

Activity: Students organize and participate in a sports team including training sessions and matches against
other teams.

Service: Students set up and conduct tutoring for people in need.

Creativity and activity: Students choreograph a routine for their marching band.

Service and activity: Students plan and participate in the planting and maintenance of a garden with
members of the local community.

Service and creativity: Students identify that children at a local school need backpacks and subsequently
design and make the backpacks out of recycled materials.

Creativity, activity, and service: Students rehearse and perform a dance production for a community
retirement home.

All CAS projects are designed with a defined purpose and goals. Individual students identify one or more
learning outcomes to further guide their role and responsibilities in the CAS project. Students will likely
identify more outcomes, or modify expected outcomes during the CAS project and/or at its completion.

A minimum of one month is recommended for a CAS project, from planning to completion. CAS
projects of longer duration can provide even greater scope and opportunities for all participants and
should be encouraged. Students should aim to undertake their CAS project locally and, if possible,
engage in more than one CAS project over the duration of their CAS programme.

As expected throughout CAS, students reflect on their CAS project experience. Due to the
collaborative nature of the CAS project, having occasions to reflect with others can prove most
informative and assist students in gaining insights into the process of their endeavor as well as personal
growth.

Service project
When a CAS project addresses the CAS strand of service (known as service project), students must
take into account the opinions and expectations of others involved and focus on meaningful and
authentic needs to ensure actions are respectful and reciprocal. Awareness of the possible impact and
consequences of the students’ actions should be part of the planning process. Where possible, service
projects should involve working alongside community members with ongoing communication. When the
service project involves the use of an external facilitator such as a non-government organization or a
commercial provider, care should be taken to ensure that the facilitator acts in accordance with the IB
mission statement and CAS requirements.

A service project that includes interaction with and appreciation of diverse social or cultural
backgrounds can increase international-mindedness and engagement with issues of global significance.

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International service projects are acceptable if clear goals and outcomes are established, understood,
and based on the expectation of compelling benefits expected for all stakeholders. If a service project is
conducted outside the local context, it is recommended that there is some form of continuation. For
example, students could research the community served and educate themselves further about the
issues involved, develop an advocacy programme for the served community, or develop greater
awareness of a related need in their local community leading to some form of local action. This may
inspire the next group of CAS students.

For any service project it is important to ensure that there is:

 A genuine need for the service project, which has been stated and agreed upon by the potential
partners.
 If required, a liaison officer who has a good relationship with the community where the service
project is based.
 An understanding of the level of student participation that is feasible in the service project.
 A clear assessment of potential risks to participating students
 Approval from the school administration for the service project
 A demonstration of how the CAS stages were followed
 A thorough evaluation of the benefits of the service project for all involved.

Purposeful relationships between students and community members leading to sustainable service
projects are potentially the most rewarding for all concerned. As community needs change, students’
responses should also evolve to meet these new circumstances. When a service project initiated by one
group is adopted by other students, the new students must ensure the need is authentic or make the
necessary adjustments and ensure their contribution is relevant.

Procedure for each experience & project:

1. Think carefully about how the experience fits into your overall CAS programme.
2. Ask someone to be your CAS supervisor.
3. Submit the CAS experience or CAS project proposal form.
4. Answer the guiding questions and send these to the CAS coordinator. He will help you decide if
the activity really is a CAS experience.
5. Check with the CAS coordinator that the experience has been approved.
6. Carry out the experience.
7. Reflect continuously on the experience and document your reflection. You should reflect on
each experience before you begin it, while you are carrying it out, and after completing it. All
experiences should be reflected upon within one week after completing the experience!
8. Ask your supervisor to fill in the evaluation form

Also in case of a CAS project, follow the steps mentioned above but also keep in mind that the required
documents for CAS project should be completed and approved PRIOR to starting your planning.

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What is Service Learning?

Simply put, service learning occurs in classrooms as students connect academics—skills and content—
with authenticated community needs. [Transforming Words into Action: Service Learning as a Teaching
Strategy by Cathryn Berger Kaye, M.A. Author of The Complete Guide to Service Learning.]

Service experiences in CAS can be approached using a service learning model. Service learning is the
development and application of knowledge and skills towards meeting an identified community need. In
this research-based approach, students undertake service initiatives often related to topics studied
previously in the curriculum, utilizing skills, understandings and values developed in these studies. Service
learning builds upon students’ prior knowledge and background, enabling them to make links between
their academic disciplines and their service experiences.

Using the CAS stages for service learning Using the CAS stages is the recommended approach for
students engaging in service experiences. All forms of service should involve investigation, preparation
and action that meets an identified need. Reflection on significant experiences throughout informs
problem-solving and choices; demonstration allows for sharing of what has taken place. The CAS stages
specific to service learning offer students a helpful and supportive approach. As students progress
through each of these stages, they can draw upon the skills and knowledge gained from their academic
subjects to support their experiences.

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The five service learning stages are:
1. Investigation: Students participate in social analysis of a selected issue, with identification
and confirmation of a community need, often with the designated community partner.
Having an inventory of interests, skills, talents and areas for personal growth, students are
able to make choices based on their priorities and abilities and the designated need.
2. Preparation: Students design a service plan appropriate to the identified need, with
clarification of roles and responsibilities, resource requirements, and timelines to
successfully implement the plan. Any community partners are likely to be consulted.
Students also acquire and develop the knowledge and skills needed for the experience.
3. Action: Students implement the plan through direct service, indirect service, advocacy, or
research. Their service may be a combination of one or more of these types of service.
Students may work individually, with partners, or in groups.
4. Reflection: Students examine their thoughts, feelings and actions applied to the context of
self, community and the world. With service learning, reflection often occurs with greater
frequency as students identify significant moments generated by new situations and insights.
5. Demonstration: Students make explicit what and how they learned and what they have
accomplished, for example, by sharing their service experience through their CAS portfolio
or with others in an informal or formal manner. Through demonstration and
communication, students solidify their understanding and evoke response from others.

Four types of service action

It is recommended that students engage with different types of service within their CAS programme.
These types of action are as follows.

 Direct service: Student interaction involves people, the environment or animals. For example,
this can appear as one-on-one tutoring, developing a garden in partnership with refugees, or
working in an animal shelter.
 Indirect service: Though students do not see the recipients of indirect service, they have
verified their actions will benefit the community or environment. For example, this can appear
as re-designing a non-profit organization’s website, writing original picture books to teach a
language, or nurturing tree seedlings for planting.
 Advocacy: Students speak on behalf of a cause or concern to promote action on an issue of
public interest. For example, this may appear as initiating an awareness campaign on hunger,
performing a play on replacing bullying with respect, or creating a video on sustainable water
solutions.
 Research: Students collect information through varied sources, analyse data, and report on a
topic of importance to influence policy or practice. For example, they may conduct
environmental surveys to influence their school, contribute to a study of animal migration,
compile effective means to reduce litter in public spaces, or conduct social research by
interviewing people on topics such as homelessness, unemployment or isolation.

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CAS Opportunities
When Can CAS be done?
Your CAS can be carried out after school, during enrichment time and on the weekends. Day scholars can
organize their CAS time at their own convenience on the weekend as well. However, all Diploma
residential students are recommended to schedule their CAS time during Saturday and Sunday service
class between approximately 9:00am to 1:00pm. For residential students, the CAS coordinator must be
notified in advance in order to approve transport and facilities requests and pass these on to the residential
service manager.

What CAS opportunities are there?

We have many CAS activities that are already in place, which you can choose to participate in. Getting
involved in enrichment activities, Academy cultural events, local NGOs; volunteering in the Junior School,
participating in the Academy and AKDN summer internship program; and of course engaging in the greater
community at large are all encouraged.

Academy Summer Service Internship Programme

In order to support the vision of His Highness the Aga Khan and to challenge our students to make a
valuable contribution to society, the Academy runs a Summer Service Internship Program. This program
is conducted through collaboration with partner organizations that include AKDN agencies and other
non-profit partners.

 These summer internships are challenging and service based, and enable students to be exposed to
and engaged in social issues in their own country.
 They are completed during the summer holidays between the end of DP 1 and the start of DP 2.
 They demand creativity, determination, persistence, and the capacity to both work as an individual
and within a group.
 In addition, these internships can act as a source of data for Extended Essays, enrich the summer
break, and support university applications.
 They also count as a long term project for the CAS portfolio.

Application process
The application process consists of a written response to a series of questions and the production of a
resume, and an interview. Final selection is done by a committee consisting of the Head of Academy,
Academy Senior School Principal, Dean of Students, Dean of Studies, DP Coordinator, and the Grade
Leader.

Costs
The internships are provided at no cost, but all associated costs of accommodation, travel, and food
must be contributed by the parent/guardian of the intern. It is the responsibility of the students and
parents that these arrangements are completed by the start of the internship. Assistance will be given
from the placement organization and the Academy in identifying appropriate arrangements.

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Reflections
Being reflective is one attribute of the IB Reflection
learner profile: “We thoughtfully
consider the world and our own ideas Reflection is: Reflection is not:
and experience. We work to understand honest only led by teachers
our strengths and weaknesses in order to varied forced
support our learning and personal done in many different right or wrong
development.” ways good or bad
sometimes boring to be graded
Reflection is central to building a deep difficult difficult
and rich experience in CAS. Developing a sometimes creative copying what someone else
culture of reflection helps students building self-awareness said
recognize and understand how to be necessary for learning predictable
reflective as well as deciding the best surprising to be judged by others
methods and appropriate timing. Student sometimes really fun done to please someone else a
learning is enhanced by reflection on helpful for planning done waste of time
alone or with others about only written
choices and actions. This enables
thoughts, feelings and ideas only discussion
students to grow in their ability to
explore skills, strengths, limitations and
areas for further development.

Elements of reflection: Reflection is a

dynamic means for self-knowing, learning and decision-making. Four elements assist in the CAS reflective
process. The first two elements form the foundation of reflection.

 Describing what happened: Students retell their memorable moments, identifying what was
important or influential, what went well or was difficult, obstacles and successes.
 Expressing feelings: Students articulate emotional responses to their experiences.

The following two elements add greater depth and expand perspectives.

 Generating ideas: Rethinking or re-examining choices and actions increases awareness about self
and situations.
 Asking questions: Questions about people, processes or issues prompt further thinking and
ongoing inquiry.

Extending reflection

Having established an effective understanding of the four elements of reflection, students develop higher
order thinking skills by critically examining thoughts, feelings and actions, thereby synthesizing their
learning. The theory of knowledge (TOK) course provides students with critical thinking skills to
develop and extend their reflections. For example, during TOK (ways of knowing) they consider their
emotions, ability to reason and how to use language.

Students can be encouraged to move forward through deeper questions. For example:

 What did I do? could become: Why did I make this particular choice?

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  How did this experience reflect my personal ideas and values?
 In what ways am I being challenged to think differently about myself and others?
 How did I feel? could become: How did I feel about the challenges?
 What happened that prompted particular feelings?
 What choices might have resulted in different feelings and outcomes?

Time for reflection

Purposeful reflection is about quality rather than quantity. The appropriate occasion, amount and
method is the student’s decision. Students are not expected to reflect on every CAS experience; they
should identify moments worthy of reflection. Reflection is most meaningful when recognized as a
personal choice. If the emphasis is on quantity with a required number of reflections or with a
requirement such as “students must complete a reflection for every CAS experience”, reflection
becomes an obligation, which is contrary to the purpose of reflection in CAS.

The preferred emphasis is for the student to determine key moments during CAS experiences that
inspire reflection. The following approaches may be helpful.

 Students choose significant moments as the basis for reflection, for example when: a moment of
discovery is happening; a skill is mastered; a challenge is confronted; emotions are provoked;
achievement deserves celebration.
 Students engage in group reflection with their peers to discover shared insights.
 Students reflect at the beginning, during, and at the end of a series of CAS experiences. This
enables students to deliberate on such elements as planning, opportunities, expectations,
challenges, progress, and personal growth.

A Reflection must be completed within one week of the completion of the CAS experience. Reflection
needs to be developed. It should not be assumed that it comes naturally; your reflections will improve
over time. Reflections and the process of showing evidence of your activities should be about the quality
of the evidence and reflection that demonstrate your learning process. The fundamentals are simple. Of
any experience, it is appropriate to ask the following questions: *Note - These are guiding questions, but
should be used to help guide your reflecting and expressions thereof.

 Summarize what you/your group did in this experience/project and how you interacted with
others.
 Explain what you hoped to accomplish through this experience/project.
 How successful were you/your group in achieving your goals? What difficulties did you
encounter and how did you overcome them?
 What did you learn about yourself and others through this experience/project? What abilities,
attitudes and values have you developed?
 Did anyone help you to think about your learning during this experience/project? If so, who
helped and how did they help?
 How did this experience/project benefit others?
 How did your experience reflect the IB Learner Profile?
 What might you do differently next time to improve?
 How can you apply what you have learned in other life situations?

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  Reflections can be more than just answering these nine reflection questions. You can
keep a journal, a scrapbook, a blog, make CDs, take pictures, create photo essays, videos/DVDs
or weblogs, or make up varied portfolios. The type of evidence chosen should reflect the
learning outcomes met, and the experience gained over the course of the experience. And all
must be uploaded to ManageBac to show completion of your CAS experience.

We expect you to reflect in an inspired, rather than

required fashion. Overall, your CAS portfolio should be
reflective, rather than descriptive. The ultimate purpose
of reflecting in CAS is not to complete “a reflection”, it is
to become reflective by choice and as a lifelong process.
Learning without reflection is a waste, reflection without
learning is dangerous. – Confucius

Evaluation

To meet the CAS requirement for your diploma, you must fulfil each of the requirements listed in the
section, “requirements for each CAS experience”. Your experiences must be properly documented and
you must provide evidence that you have achieved the seven key learning outcomes. The most
important aspect of evaluation is your own self-evaluation.

The Academy will offer you formative feedback on your progress and guidance on future experiences.
The final decision on completion is made by the school and this is reported to the IB.

Activities that cannot be considered as CAS

 Help out in family business/projects

 Working/internship with monetary incentives
 Religion related activities/projects like church camp, fund raising for temple...etc
 Activities that promote race superiority...etc
 Activities that promote certain rights/movements which deviate from the social norm like
speaking about the gay rights... Etc.
 Activities that support certain political parties in promoting political objectives.
 Activities that promote money laundering or any illegal activities.
 Activities that promotes or facilitate terrorism.

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CAS could consist of…
Dance, theatre, music, art, sports, acting, key club, expeditions, plant trees, help the elderly, tutor active,
coaching sports, reflection, recycling, build stage sets, ceramics.

CAS does not include…

Attending performance and art shows, watching foreign films, Group 4 required hours’ project, tutoring
for pay/or family, filing CAS paperwork, walking as part of required religious devotion, making quilts
before finding a recipient or need, hiking alone, working for the attorney general’s office, participating in
a strike, internships.

CAS is related to…

Building relationships, for and with others, interaction, life outside the classroom extending the
classroom into the real world, supervisor, group activities.

CAS is not related to…

Counting hours, self-serving, minimal reflection, redundant activities, no awareness of community needs,
ignoring the guidelines, random and unrelated short activities, absence of learning, superficial,
materialistic.

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CAS Timeline

DP 1
August &  Attend orientation and receive CAS Handbook.
September  Read entire CAS Handbook.
 Determine the goals that you plan on achieving through these activities.
 Introduction to CAS portfolio will be given.
 Begin thinking about which of the seven learning outcomes you hope to
achieve with each activity.
 Meet with CAS Coordinator to discuss CAS year plan and ideas.
 Once you have a year plan, you may give first CAS proposal on
Managebac.
October,  1st formal interview with CAS Coordinator.
November &  Begin filling out your reflections for each activity.
December  CAS project planning begins with students and "CAS project form" is
introduced on Managebac.
 CAS Coordinator may request a copy of your CAS project proposal and
risk assessment form on Managebac.
 Keep a copy of your reflection with your portfolio in a safe place.
 Meet with the CAS Coordinator if you are not on track or if you have
questions.
 Continuous meetings on request (and continuous portfolio checks).
January,  CAS monthly review.
February, March  Continue adding new activity proposals and ongoing reflections on
Managebac and in your portfolio.
 Don’t forget to fill out the supervisor evaluation form.
 Review your portfolio and learning outcomes to identify the areas that you
may need to focus on.
 Remember to keep copies of your reflections in a safe place with your
portfolio.
 Continuous meetings on request (and continuous portfolio checks).
April - May  Continue filling out reflection forms after you complete an activity.
 Meet with CAS Coordinator if you do not seem to be on track or if you
have questions.
 Review your portfolio and reflection forms to see if all the learning
outcomes have been achieved.
 Continue working on your CAS activities.
 2nd formal CAS interview and verifying evidence and ongoing portfolio.
 Holidays are a good time to get involved with CAS activities.
 Service internship proposal to be submitted on Managebac

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 DP 2
August &  CAS monthly review.
September  Ongoing CAS experiences and CAS project will be recorded.
 Internship presentations.
October,  Review and feedback on the CAS project including risk assessment by CAS
November & Coordinator.
December  Reflections on the CAS project are reviewed through monthly meetings
January,  All CAS requirements must be completed and be ready on Managebac.
February, March  Final CAS interview / review of portfolio
 Official CAS signing off (using CAS Checklist). CAS coordinator follow up
with unsatisfactory reports until its completed.
 Failure to meet this deadline may result in no IB diploma being awarded
until CAS requirements are fulfilled.
 Final CAS Portfolio: Review with feedback.
 CAS coordinator: Ready with CAS programme completion form and
individual candidate’s CAS completion checklist
 CAS Coordinator: Submit CAS programme completion form to IB and
Notify the IB whether individual candidates have completed.

Files and Forms on Managebac CAS Folder

1. CAS Year plan form
2. A CAS experience and project proposal form
3. List of Service sites
4. List of Enrichment activities
5. Supervisor evaluation form
6. Introductory letter for external activity supervisors.
7. CAS quick checklist for graduation
8. Appendix 7 - CAS INDIVIDUAL COMPLETION FORM
9. A few examples of good practice
10. Samples of student reflections
11. CAS Guide 2017 after

Bibliography

 Creativity, activity, service guide for students graduating in 2017 -

OCC.ibo.org/ibis/occ/guest/home.cfm
 Creativity, activity, service teacher support material 2016 - OCC.ibo.org/ibis/occ/guest/home.cfm
 CAS Hand book of International school TWENTE - https://www.istwente.org/about-
istwente/downloads/...
 CAS Hand book of The Indian Public School - http://www.theindianpublicschool.org/
 CAS – the transforming power of experiential learning (Category 3) NIST, Bangkok Thailand
September 16 - 18, 2017. Work shop material by Steven Money stevenmoney@me.com
 http://schools.stlucie.k12.fl.us/lpa/files/ib/CASexample.pdf

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