The Cas Process

CAS Explained

CAS is made up of a range of experiences and at least one major project.

A CAS EXPERIENCE is a specific event in which the student engages with one or more of the three CAS strands. A 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.

Planned and Unplanned Activities

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

Planned:

Imagine that you are interested in theatre and decide to work on a theatrical monologue. For your investigation, you could ask the librarian or drama/theatre teacher for suggestions and read several monologues or watch performances by others. For preparation, the student may then need to gather props and a hat and scarf for a costume. This will allow the student to perform the desired action.

Alternatively, for Activity you might decide to go on a series of six hikes with increased difficulty. For investigation you would need to research about the hikes and determines which would be the best order to attempt them. To prepare, you would need to obtain the necessary supplies for each hike including water, snacks, ropes and a map and conduct practice hikes or do some training. This would enable you complete the action.

In undertaking Service, if you wanted to promote reusable water bottles at school, for investigation you might find out how many single-use water bottles are sold each week in the canteen and do a survey of high school students to determine their awareness of how damaging the use of plastics is to the environment. For preparation, you could initiate a campaign to get pre-orders for reusable bottles. FInally, you would distribute them to students.

Unplanned

Sometimes, CAS experiences in which you will partake do not require you to prepare and conduct an investigation. For example:

• Service: A student signs up to go to a school to tutor children at the last minute.

• Activity: A student suddenly decides to go on a long bike ride.

• Creativity: A student is travelling and becomes inspired write a short story capturing a recent experience.