WAB Learns: CAS & Global Citizenship: Overview

What is CAS?

CAS is the culminating demonstration of your journey as a Global Citizen at WAB

At WAB we believe that we are all global citizens and our decisions today impact future generations. A successful global citizen is aware of and seeks to understand pressing global issues, furthers social justice, respects and engages with diverse cultures and identities, lives in harmony with nature, and recognizes a responsibility to take action in local and global contexts.

The CAS portfolio and project is an opportunity to showcase your knowledge, skills, and dispositions that have been developed throughout your education. These experiences will provide evidence of your ability in seven different competency areas by addressing the CAS learning outcomes, and is at the heart of WAB’s mission to develop students that ‘Connect, Inspire, Challenge and Make a Difference’.

In addition, the Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS) component of the International Baccalaureate is part of the core requirements of the IB Diploma and is a requirement for all students at WAB.

CAS and the WAB Profiles of an Alumni

The CAS Learner Outcomes align with WAB's Strategic Goals

Strategy 2022+

🌿 🌍 WAB alumni will be agents of sustainable and ethical approaches to living and learning

和 💛 WAB alumni will be champions of inclusion through diversity, equity, anti-racism and social justice (I-DEAS)

Profiles of WAB Alumni domains

💥 Inspired, challenged, successful learners

💥 Future-ready innovators

💥 Critical and creative communicators

💥 Connected China-Global Citizens

💥 Agents of Change

💥 Balanced and reflective inquirers (well-being and resilience)

What is required for CAS?

CAS is a wholistic approach to learning, which allows students the flexibility to explore their interests and talents in the areas of creativity, physical activity, and community service engagements in local, national, and international contexts. The CAS component amplifies and supports subject area experiences and demonstrates a student’s ability to develop and reflect on themselves as a Global Citizen.

The program formally begins at the start of grade 11 for all WAB students and continues regularly, ideally on a weekly basis, for at least 18 months with a reasonable balance between ‘Creativity’, ‘Activity’, and ‘Service’ strands that are aligned with the 7 Learning Outcomes. Students are expected to complete at least 2 experiences for each C-A-S, and one Long-Term Project based on a Global Issue. At WAB, students have various opportunities to participate in CAS experiences, such as during DAY 9, in Student Led Clubs, WABx and other self-directed time. Students have time set aside during Flex/Mentor to develop a CAS portfolio and reflect on their experiences supported by their mentor.

Student responsibilities:

Thoroughly familiarize yourself with the expectations of the CAS program and timelines
Base your choices on your interests, skills, talents and areas for growth to stay motivated; challenge yourself!
Balance your experiences between the CAS strands: Creativity, Activity and Service -
Initiate or engage in at least one significant and meaningful CAS Action Project in collaboration with others that extends over at least one month
Engage with the Learning Outcomes by planning your CAS program experiences intentionally. This means setting goals for your experiences based on the Learning Outcomes. You will need to show evidence and reflect on each of the 7 learning outcomes throughout your program
Participate in meaningful reflection as a way to capture your experiences and summarize your evidence linked to the Learning Outcomes
Use the CAS stages when planning your Action Project. You will need to show evidence of each stage of your project
Meet for interviews with your CAS Advisor/Mentor and present your program to your mentor group at the end of G11 and at the CAS Exhibition at the end of G12
Ask questions along the way when you need assistance or clarity
Enjoy CAS! That’s most important—to participate in experiences that assist your personal growth and offer you a world of possibilities

CAS Overview

Creativity, Activity and Service by Angelia Crouch

Who Supports You?

Your Mentor will be the ongoing person of support and contact for the student during the CAS program.

Their role will be as follows:

Educate students on the meaning and purpose of the CAS learning outcomes
Assist students with clarifying and developing the attributes of the IB learner profile
Support students in understanding ethical concerns and Global Citizenship
Develop purposeful reflection skills through individual interviews, group discussions and presentations
Provide feedback on student reflections
Assist students in identifying personal and group goals
Discuss goals and achievements in regular meetings
Provide ongoing guidance and support to students
Monitor the range and balance of experiences undertaken by individuals
Advise and monitor progress towards meeting the CAS learning outcomes
Periodically review students’ CAS portfolios
Meet each student in three formal documented interviews.
Report on student progress to CAS Coordinator and parents

The CAS coordinator facilitates understanding of CAS and oversees the effective implementation of CAS experiences, working directly with students, staff, Mentors and CAS supervisors. The CAS coordinator is responsible for reporting the progress of CAS students to the Diploma Programme. CAS coordinators are ultimately responsible for determining whether students have met the CAS learning outcomes at the end of the Diploma Programme.

Their role is as follows:

Familiarize students, colleagues, parents and the wider community with CAS
Promote the importance of CAS to students, colleagues, parents and the wider community
Approve and support the development of a CAS project for each student
Identify safety issues (risk assessment) of external CAS experiences
Educate students on all aspects of the CAS programme
Promote and publicize student achievements in CAS
Support CAS supervisors and mentors
Inform and work with outside providers in their involvement in CAS experiences
Report completion/non-completion of CAS to the IB

The CAS supervisor assists, offers guidance and oversees the students’ CAS experiences when needed. A supervisor may not be necessary if a student is able to undertake a CAS experience without assistance or supervision. Students should take responsibility for their own CAS experiences where possible and be provided with opportunities to report on their own attendance and participation. Dependent on the nature of the experience, the school should decide whether a supervisor is required to guide and assist the student, to ensure safety and to provide feedback on student involvement to the school. CAS supervisors can be teachers, non-teaching members of the school or wider community, or volunteers with the skills and/or knowledge of the CAS experience undertaken by the student.