8.1.26 The Principle of CAS – the core of the IB

Combining Creativity, Activity, and Service, CAS is the core of the International Baccalaureate. It is based on trying new things and acquiring extracurricular skills alongside balancing the IB workload. Each of the three strands aims to foster growth, commitment and perseverance. Creativity focuses on self-expression and exploring new ideas, Activity encourages physical engagement and well-being and Service emphasizes giving back to the community. Due to these aspects building confidence, interdependence and time management skills, CAS helps students grow beyond academics, turning them into well-rounded individuals. 

Parallel to personal CAS experiences, an additional CAS project is required: a combination of all three elements in a singular effort.

For our CAS project, our class came up with the idea of having a stall at our school’s annual Christmas bazaar. The idea emerged during our CAS retreat at the beginning of the school year and those who participated were all ecstatic at the prospect of doing something collectively. We decided to do a food stall, selling national dishes and drinks of the countries our school would donate to through the “A Bleistift for Everyone” organisation (aiming to provide an education to children). Running the stand turned out to be a great experience as it gave us the chance to turn our idea into a reality with teamwork and responsibility. Everyone who participated was motivated and contributed great food, rendering the project fun and successful. Beyond checking off an IB requirement, the stand supported a good cause while simultaneously strengthening our class collaboration and offering a manageable challenge.

Therefore, CAS reminds us that learning is omnipresent. Projects like the Christmas Bazaar show that with initiative, commitment and teamwork, ideas are turned into meaningful action, rather than just being a further requirement to fulfill. 

Shivali S., Q12 IB