CAS: Creativity, Action, Service

Creativity, Action, Service (CAS) engages students in reflective involvement beyond the classroom by fostering caring and socially responsible attitudes through participation in activities that reach beyond themselves and their books. Participation in CAS encourages students:

• to share their energies and special talents while developing awareness, concern and the ability to work cooperatively with others
• to develop a spirit of open-mindedness, lifelong learning, discovery, and self-reliance
• to learn new skills and develop attitudes and traits that will be respected by others, such as determination and commitment, initiative and empathy
• to open up the world of possibilities and grow in the knowledge of life, self, and others.

In preparation for this requirement and in keeping with the broader approach of fostering the development of the whole person, students are required to accumulate CAS hours in certain levels based on their grade:

Requirements for Grades 6 - 10

All Grade 6 - 10 students are required to participate in the CAS program in order to advance to the next grade level. They should work with their advisors to balance their activities between the three categories of creativity, action, and service. The beauty of CAS is in the power of experiential learning and the building of relationships. It will no longer require a checklist of hours. Each student will participate in an AIS activity every Wednesday from 3:00 - 3:30 PM.

Other activities beyond this are encouraged as long as they promote reflection, personal growth, a sense of community, and the interconnectivity of humanity. Reflections are still the primary evidence of growth and will be driven by the student (and guided by an advisor). A student who is not comfortable with written reflection may choose to have a conversation with his/her advisor about his/her activities. The advisor will take notes at these meetings, which become part of the reflection documentation. Students may also choose to reflect in oral presentations, emails, journals, photo essays, videos/DVDs, weblogs or a traditional essay format.

Between grades 6 and 10, each student will be expected to have shown achievement in the following eight learning outcomes.

Outcome 1: Increased awareness of strengths and weaknesses
Outcome 2: Undertaken new challenges
Outcome 3: Planned and initiated new activities
Outcome 4: Worked collaboratively with others
Outcome 5: Shown perseverance and commitment in activities
Outcome 6: Engaged with issues of global importance
Outcome 7: Considered ethical implications
Outcome 8: Developed new skills

Requirements for Grades 11 - 12

All Grade 11-12 students are required to accumulate 150 CAS hours over two years during Grades 11 and 12. These hours may be completed in any combination but at least 25 hours must be completed for each category, with the balance of the 150 hours divided according to the projects in which the student decides to participate. Furthermore, at AIS it is expected that Grade 11 students will complete at least 90 hours of the 150 hour requirement before the end of Grade 11.

CAS Requirements for Grades 11-12 as a PDF (35 KB)