IB CAS (Creativity, Activity, Service)
From its beginning, Eugene IHS has made experiential learning a part of our identity. We are committed to Creativity, Activity, and Service (CAS) as an aspect of an international studies curriculum, for it is one more way students gain confidence and knowledge in a broader world than home and school.
The CAS experience as a whole should show evidence of the seven CAS learning outcomes:
* Identify own strengths and develop areas for growth
* Demonstrate that challenges have been undertaken, developing new skills in the process
* Demonstrate how to initiate and plan a CAS experience
* Demonstrate the skills and recognize the benefits of working collaboratively
* Show commitment to and perseverance in CAS experiences
* Demonstrate engagement with issues of global significance
* Recognize and consider the ethics of choices and actions
CAS hours can start being earned towards the Eugene IHS CAS requirement after July 1st of the summer between sophomore and junior year. Students should keep track of their hours as they will be recording their total hours earned along with a reflection for each entry. Students will be introduced to CAS at the end of sophomore year and/or the beginning of junior year.
All students in Eugene IHS are expected to fulfill the CAS requirements.
Creativity: Exploring or extending ideas related to an original or interpretive product or performance (IB Creativity, Activity, Service Guide, page 8). Creativity in CAS provides students with the opportunity to explore their own sense of original thinking and expression. Creativity will come from the student’s talents, interests, passions, emotional responses, and imagination; the form of expression is limitless. This may include visual and performing arts, digital design, writing, film, culinary arts, crafts and composition. Students are encouraged to engage in creative endeavors that move them beyond the familiar, broadening their scope from conventional to unconventional thinking (IB Creativity, Activity, Service Guide, page 18). In a student’s CAS program, creativity fosters an appreciation for the arts.
Activity: Physical exertion contributing to a healthy lifestyle. The aim of the ‘Activity’ strand is to promote lifelong healthy habits related to physical well-being. Pursuits may include individual and team sports, aerobic exercise, dance, outdoor recreation, fitness training, and any other form of physical exertion that purposefully contributes to a healthy lifestyle. Students are encouraged to participate at an appropriate level and on a regular basis to provide a genuine challenge and benefit (IB Creativity, Activity, Service Guide, page 19). In a student’s CAS program, activity focuses on the physical, and thus, mental, well being of the student.
Service: Collaborative and reciprocal engagement with the community in response to an authentic need. The aim of the ‘Service’ strand is for students to understand their capacity to make a meaningful contribution to their community and society. Through service, students develop and apply personal and social skills in real-life situations involving decision-making, problem-solving, initiative, responsibility, and accountability for their actions. Service is often seen as one of the most transforming elements of CAS by promoting students’ self-awareness, offering diverse occasions for interactions and experiences and opportunities for international-mindedness (IB Creativity, Activity, Service Guide, page 20). In a student’s CAS program, service is an unpaid and voluntary community contribution and focuses on an endeavor beyond a student’s current experience.
Students in Eugene IHS will complete CAS (Creativity, Activity, Service) requirements and provide evidence for having met the eight learning outcomes.
Requirements include: complete 150 hours of CAS activities over the course junior and senior years: at least 50 hours of service, 25 hours of creativity and 25 hours of activity and a reasonable balance between the remaining 50 hours. Hours must be concurrent over two years – that is, they should be spread out over the course of both junior and senior years – and should reflect an ongoing commitment to the principles of the CAS Learning Outcomes.
Immersion Students: Must complete a CAS (Creativity, Activity, Service) experience in a setting where the immersion language is the primary language being used.
In addition to completing CAS hours students must participate in a student-initiated group project. Details are provided in the CAS Student Handbook.
Click under the “Junior/Senior Seminar” tab for more specific information about CAS deadlines and see the CAS Student Handbook for more specific guidelines regarding CAS and the group project.