CAS & Service as Action: Experiences

When creating your CAS portfolio, it is important that you engage in a balance of different activities. Your engagement might be different depending on your role. If you are committed to a Tier One or Two level experience, maybe one experience is sufficient. If you are engaging at a Tier Three or Four Level, consider 2-3 experiences. 

This guide might help you determine your level of engagement

Tier One 

Tier-one experiences demonstrate an exceptional level of achievement or leadership. These types of experiences would likely be the basis for a student to receive a WAB special award: Global Citizenship Awards and Recognition - HS Global Citizenship - WAB Learns at Western Academy of Beijing

Tier-one activities can include athletic and artistic achievements and recognition within or outside the WAB community. An innovative community service project will also qualify as a tier-one experience. This might be the design of a project that demonstrates an understanding of a global issue and actions to address the problem or need in the local community or beyond.  

These kinds of service projects might include:

• Volunteer at the Soong Qingling Museum to create interactive guide materials in English.
• Connecting with a local organic farm and growing produce to sell to the community and creating a documentary to highlight the importance of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA).
• Organizing a ‘words matter’ campaign to highlight language microaggressions in the school community.
• Host an ethical investing competition to spotlight companies with strong Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) values.
• Designing a playground or library for an underprivileged, rural community school.
• Turning a love of soccer into an effort to build fields in underserved communities.

That said, just participating in a standard volunteer opportunity with no leadership role or major impact will likely be classified as a tier-four activity.

Tier Two 

Tier-two experiences are endeavors that show high levels of achievement and leadership and are impressive accomplishments to have in a CAS portfolio. The difference between tier two and tier one experiences is tier two involvement is leadership in a pre-existing activity. 

An example of a tier two activity is holding a leadership position, like President or chair, in a well-respected club such as the Model UN, debate team, WAB service club, or long-standing community service club. In the area of athletics and the arts, it might be a lead role in a play or captain of a sports team.

Tier Three

Tier-three experiences demonstrate a student’s participation in pursuits outside of the classroom and help to demonstrate a complete picture of the student, but don’t have the distinction of the undertakings found in the higher tiers. 

Being an active member of clubs like the Model UN, debate team, or service club are good examples of tier three experiences. Possessing a position such as treasurer or secretary in a club might also be tier-three. 

Tier Four

General membership in the aforementioned clubs are tier-four activities. Likewise, participation in individual sports or athletics outside of school or learning piano on your own (depending on the level of commitment). General volunteerism is also a reliable tier four activity. 

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 studied  
• Write articles/blogs 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 the 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 into 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 bullying 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 initiative at school  
• Design a campaign to promote awareness of global environmental issues  
• Help measure the 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, refugee 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 schools around the world  
• Film theater and sports events  
• Organize a photo exhibition  
• Perform to raise funds for charities  
• Produce an infomercial for an NGO  
• Take dance lessons that lead to a performance  

Thanks to The American School of Madrid