US IB CAS: Project Ideas

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 program.
 
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.
   
Examples of Projects by Subject Areas
There are six subject groups in the IB Diploma program:

• Studies in Language and Literature
• Language Acquisition
• Individuals and Societies
• Sciences
• Mathematics
• The Arts

The following identifies types of CAS experiences for each subject group.
Studies in Language and Literature
CAS experiences that could be derived from this subject group:

• Creative Writing
• Produce audio books for an organization servicing the blind
• Write articles about IB or CAS for the school Flash or community paper
• Raise awareness about issues in literature
• Teach younger students how to debate
• Write a movie/play script or make a movie/play

Language Acquisition
CAS experiences that could be derived from this subject group:

• Develop a pen pal network
• Provide language lessons for those in need
• Develop language guides using technology
• Creative writing in the language being studies
• Write articles/blog on the culture of the language being studied
• Produce materials explaining CAS in the language being studied

Individuals and Societies
CAS experiences that could be derived from this subject group:

• Create displays and plan an assembly on history, particularly the area around he school
• Record the oral histories of the old people living in the community nursing home.
• Raise awareness of recycling at the school
• Map resources in the local area, such as recycling centers, youth organizations or social enterprises, and initiate CAS experiences that extend and support these resources
• Work with local initiatives that support the UN sustainable development goals
• Arrange a simulation, a game or a school debate addressing local or global political issues for other students.
• Investigate ways of contributing to strengthening peace and peaceful behaviors in and outside of school
• Raise awareness of human rights through international and local organizations.
• Support asylum seekers and migrants in integration in the culture and community.
• Create a social enterprise addressing a community need.
• Research the philosophy of CAS
• Discuss and investigate ways of supporting the role of active citizenship in the local community.
• Initiate a campaign that replaces bulling with respect for all within the school
• Build a garden for those in need.

Sciences
CAS experiences that could be derived from this subject group:

• Form an Astronomy Club and encourage elementary age study to join and become more aware of the universe
• Raise awareness after testing local water quality
• Raise awareness by monitoring air quality around the school
• Create and maintain a nature reserve on campus
• Help remove invasive species around campus and surrounding neighborhoods
• Advocate healthy eating habits for younger students
• Form a recycling club at school
• Form a club to promote awareness of global environmental issues
• Help measure fitness of athletes in school sports teams
• Promote participation in physical exercise, for example, “walk to school” groups

Mathematics
CAS experiences that could be derived from this subject group:

• Maintain financial accounts for a local charity
• Assist a sports club or team with pre and post fitness assessment statistical analysis
• Host a math “event” for younger students and/or their parents
• Learn how to file tax returns
• Design and paint a mural celebrating math through the ages
• Plan a math scavenger hunt at school to reveal all the place math is part of everyday life

The Arts
CAS experiences that could be derived from this subject group:

• Create artworks to donate to hospitals, aged-care facilities, rfugeee centers
• Create performances for local schools or aged-care facilities with an educational message, for example, how to better protect the environment
• Compete in external theater competitions
• Organize a flash mob
• Create a mural for a children’s hospital or community center
• Collaborate with NGOs to design posters for their causes or special events
• Volunteer with a local theater group
• Establish a virtual online exhibition to exchange student artwork with other chools around the world
• Film theater and sports even ts
• Organize a photo exhibition
• Perform to raise funds for charities
• Produce an infomercial for an NGO
• Take dance lessons that lead to a performance

1. Photo-A-Day Challenge
You must create a Instagram, blogspot blog, scrapbook or any other digital platform where you collect the photos that you take. You must write comments on at least 10 photos about why you took that photo or what you liked/didn't like about the photo. YOU MUST TAKE at least 1 photo EVERY DAY for 30 days!

Pick any subject that interests you or think of a subject that relates to global issues like climate change/ trade free zone/ nuclear proliferation/ fishing etc.

 If you are going for a summer programme, you can create a photo-series that ‘scream’ about the highlight of your learning journey. It can be about the school, the programme, the culture, the ‘vibe’ of the school or anything that you think deserves your attention. Similarly, you must write comments on at least 10 photos about why you took that photo or what you liked/didn't like about the photo. YOU MUST TAKE at least 1 photo EVERY DAY for the entire summer programme! Create a Video - In order for this to be a CAS project, you have to improve your video editing skills and stretch yourself creatively. Pick and research on any topic/issues that interests you and create a 3-5 minutes short video.

2. Fitness /Traveling/ Fashion/ Baking/ Cooking Blog
Start a cooking blog and set a goal for how many posts you do. For example, you could set your goal of cooking 4 things and writing a blog post for each item that you cook. You should research a few cooking blogs to see different styles. You could look up recipes of foods that you want to cook and then post pictures of the cooking process and the finished product along with commentary on how you cooked it. You could ask a parent or other family member to teach you to cook some foods and document the experience with photos and commentary. You can look up some great cooking blogs to give you inspiration.

Some ideas here: http://www.101cookbooks.com/ http://www.simplyrecipes.com/
Here is some general advice and tips of taking pics of food: https://www.format.com/magazine/resources/photography/food-photography-tips

3. Online summer courses
You can go online and take up interesting courses that is not offered in our school such as languages/ philosophy/ computer programming/ food nutrition/ music technology/ food engineering/ accounting etc. In order for this to be a CAS experience, you must engage in a course that you are not offering as your IB course in Grade 11. You need to be clear about your learning objectives and how you have developed or increased expertise in various abilities or skills. You can create a poster to promote the course or write a blog to reflect on your learning, evaluate the course and introduce it your juniors. (ie. Kaplan/ Harvard online courses)

4. Pick up a new hobby
Is there something you wish you knew how to do it? Singing? Ballroom dancing? Salsa? Oil painting? Fishing? Learning a new instrument? Self-defense techniques? Reading? Gardening? Calligraphy? Karate? Lacrosse? Walkathon? Golf?

Thank you Shanghai Qibao Dwight High School