BALIKESIR ACI ANATOLIAN HIGH SCHOOL

Creativity, Activity, Service

CAS Handbook

2021-2022

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 IB MISSION STATEMENT

The International Baccalaureate aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and

caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through
intercultural understanding and respect.

To this end the organization works with schools, governments and international
organizations to develop challenging programmes of international education
and rigorous assessment.

These programmes encourage students across the world to become active,

compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with
their differences, can also be right.

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 MISSION STATEMENT OF BALIKESIR ACI HIGH SCHOOL

Balikesir Aci College aims to educate individuals who can produce critical and creative ideas,
can think analytically; are open-minded, sensitive to the environment, respectful, disciplined
and dependent on spiritual and human values; have high self-esteem, universal tolerance and
understanding; aspires lifelong learning and who use at least one foreign language at the
highest level.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
What is CAS? 6
What does CAS stand for? 6
What are the aims of CAS? 7
What are the CAS learning outcomes? 7
What are the CAS stages? 8
What is the responsibility of students in CAS journey? 8
What is the responsibility of CAS Coordinator in CAS journey? 9
What is the responsibility of parents in CAS journey? 10
What is the evaluation form of students in CAS? 11
A sample of CAS portfolio 11
Some examples of CAS experiences and CAS projects 13
The template of CAS portfolio 14
References 15

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WHAT IS CAS?
“CAS is at the heart of the Diploma Programme. With this holistic approach, CAS is designed
to strengthen and extend students’ personal and interpersonal learning from PYP and MYP.”
(IB Diploma Programme CAS Guide, 2017)
As CAS Guide indicates, CAS is one of the core lessons of IB Diploma Programme. It is
based on students’ needs and discovery of students themselves. CAS also presents challenging
ways in order to develop students to be open to the communications of others, use critical and
creative thinking skills for analyzing situations, take responsibility for their actions, inquire
and search how to learn independently and with the others, respect and show empathy. It also
develops the skills for balancing students’ own aspects of life, conceptual understanding,
working independently and cooperatively with courage and determination, consideration of
strengthens and weaknesses of themselves. By doing this, those who have this core lesson
critically appreciate their self-development and values both for themselves and others.
Students strengthen their perspectives of their own culture and personal background as well as
the values of others. CAS aims to educate individuals who can produce critical and creative
ideas, be able to think analytically. CAS also aims to educate individuals who are open-
minded, sensitive to the environment, respectful, disciplined and dependent on spiritual and
human values; have high self-esteem, universal tolerance and understanding; aspires lifelong
learning and who use at least one foreign language at the highest level. It can be also seen as
journey of the students into their personality.
CAS is a requirement for students who would like to complete the Diploma Programme
successfully. It does not have a graded assessment procedure. However, it needs
accomplishment of CAS portfolio as the proof of students’ engagement with CAS.

WHAT DOES CAS STAND FOR?

CAS is organized around the three strands. These are creativity, activity and service. These
are defined as follows:
● Creativity: exploring and extending students’ ideas, producing new performance
according to their own talents, imaginations, interests, passions and emotional
responses.
● Activity: physical involvement contributing to a healthy lifestyle.
● Service: an unpaid and voluntary act of service which has collaborative and obsolete
engagement with the community in response to an authentic need.

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WHAT ARE THE AIMS OF CAS?

As stated in the CAS Guide 2017, CAS aims to develop students who:
● enjoy and find significance in a range of CAS experiences
● purposefully reflect upon their experiences
● identify goals, develop strategies and determine further actions for personal growth
● explore new possibilities, embrace new challenges and adapt to new roles
● actively participate in planned, sustained and collaborative CAS projects
● understand they are members of local and global communities with responsibilities
towards each other and the environment
Being active, learning by doing, life-long learning are some key components of CAS. CAS
believes that when the learners engage in the activities and real life experiences, they can have
possibility to participate in reality, adapt themselves to new roles actively and have better
understanding of other people with collaboration. 

WHAT ARE THE CAS LEARNING OUTCOMES?

As Creativity, Activity, Service Guide indicates that there are seven learning outcomes to
achieve the development of the necessary skills, attributes and understandings for the students
through meaningful and purposeful CAS experiences. These are as follows:
1. Identify their own strengths and develop areas for personal growth
2. Demonstrate that they have undertaken challenges, developing new skills in the
process
3. Demonstrate how to initiate and plan a CAS experience
4. Show commitment to and perseverance in their CAS experiences
5. Demonstrate the skills and recognize the benefits of working collaboratively
6. Demonstrate engagement with issues of global significance
7. Recognize and consider the ethics of choices and actions
The most important implication of a focus on the qualitative outcomes is to raise a child with
both national and international understanding, having cross-cultural features, hosting
humanity in deep sides of themselves. In addition, the outcomes of learning are the behaviors
that all parents would like to feel and observe in their children's attitude towards both people
around the children and the children themselves.
These outcomes could help students understand and observe how our students hug the soul of
being a good human, which is actually what IB mission statement and Aci College mission
statement state.

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WHAT ARE THE CAS STAGES?

Reflection

Reflection
Reflectio
n Investigation

Action Preparation

Reflection

Demonstration

Figure 4
The five CAS stages
Creativity, Activity, Service Guide, 2017
As can be seen in the diagram, there are two parts, which are the center and the outer. The
center represents four key components of the process: investigation -which would like the
students to identify their interests, needs, skills and talents to be used-, preparation – which
enables students to determine roles and responsibilities, develop an action plan-, action-which
offers students to make decisions and solve problems working individually or with groups,
and reflection. These four key components of the process are linked. The outer indicates two
components in summarizing the CAS experience: reflection and demonstration. Reflection
stage is one of the key factors that students describe their learning journey with expressing
their feelings, emotions and generating ideas during their CAS journey. It also could occur
any time in the process and enable to new actions. Demonstration is another key opponent of
the stages, which is the way of solidification students’ understanding and responses from
others. It could be shared with CAS portfolios in ManageBac or Google Classroom in formal
manner.

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WHAT IS THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF STUDENTS IN THE CAS JOURNEY?

As the Creativity, Activity, Service Guide 2017 states, CAS students are expected to:
● approach CAS with a proactive attitude
● develop a clear understanding of CAS expectations and the purpose of CAS
● explore personal values, attitudes and attributes with reference to the IB learner profile
and the IB mission statement
● determine personal goals
● discuss plans for CAS experiences with the CAS coordinator and/or CAS adviser
● understand and apply the CAS stages where appropriate
● take part in a variety of experiences, some of which are self-initiated, and at least one
CAS project
● become more aware of personal interests, skills and talents and observe how these
evolve throughout the CAS programme
● maintain a CAS portfolio and keep records of CAS experiences including evidence of
achievement of the seven CAS learning outcomes
● understand the reflection process and identify suitable opportunities to reflect on CAS
experiences
● demonstrate accomplishments within their CAS programme
● communicate with the CAS coordinator/adviser and/or CAS supervisor in formal and
informal meetings
● ensure a suitable balance between creativity, activity and service in their CAS
programme
● behave appropriately and ethically in their choices and behaviors.
As Balikesir Aci College, we would like our students to remember that this CAS journey is
their life journey. The outcomes of this journey will stay with our students for a life time.

WHAT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF CAS COORDINATOR?

CAS Coordinator is the one who gives the support during the process of the experience.
Students may not have any idea about how they can share responsibilities. In that phase, CAS
coordinator can plot a route for how they will make it by giving them opportunities to find out
what the students qualities are. When the coordinator guides the students in that way, students
can find out the solution of what kind of duties and missions they will have during the
experience. Because CAS coordinator is the one who has knowledge about our students by
means of their interests, skills, their likings and disliking, their strengths and weaknesses.
Besides, CAS coordinator could ask convenient questions about the timelines when the
students are stuck so that they can find out the best timeline for the experience themselves.
CAS coordinator is the guide who helps her students discover their potential inside and
recognize the reality of themselves.

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As the Creativity, Activity, Service Guide 2017 states, CAS Coordinator has the responsibility
to work directly with the students to:
● educate students on all aspects of the CAS programme
● 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 international-mindedness
● develop purposeful reflection skills through individual interviews, group discussions
and teaching strategies
● 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

WHAT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF PARENTS?

Parents are one of the key factors for this journey. As the partners of this journey, parents are
expected to:
● support the student by emphasizing that CAS is a fundamental part of the IB
programme
● allow the students to develop their own independence and self-sufficiency
● contact the IB CAS Coordinator with their concerns or questions if and when
necessary
● responsible for the safety of their child during CAS experiences outside school
facilities
● be responsible for transportation to and from CAS experiences or projects if and when
necessary.

WHAT IS THE EVALUATION FORM OF STUDENTS IN CAS?

CAS does not have graded evaluation system. Students will not get grades as evaluation form.
Instead of this, students must have their CAS portfolios. Their reflections are the key factor
for their CAS journey. They are evaluated from their process. There are no internal or external
evaluations. Students need to complete necessary stages and outcomes of CAS.
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A SAMPLE OF CAS PORTFOLIO
CAS PORTFOLIO
Students will present their CAS portfolio as a web blog as it will be easier to share documents
and photos. There will be a comment section for students’ sharing, so any friend who follows
the student can post comments, give feedback and express themselves in a way to reflect in
Google Classroom.

A list of experiences/projects in an example CAS Portfolio

Experience (or Project): A Theatre Play for Elders (project)

CAS Strand/s: Creativity, Activity and Service
Brief overview: Students write, organize and play a theatre play for an elder care house
to interact with them as to build a relationship.
Evidence of the Learning Outcomes:
LO 1. Students will use their theatrical skills to express and interact with a group of
people
LO 2. Interacting with an elder group may be a challenge for the ones who do not spend a
lot of time with them. So, it will create an opportunity to develop their communication.
LO 3. Students will plan the play and write it. So, they will take initiative from the
forming to performing.
LO 4. Attending all rehearsals and practices are the evidence for perseverance.
LO 5. Students will identify their skills and they will share their responsibilities in terms
of these skills. Then, they will have the chance to work collaboratively and at some points
they will have the chance to learn from each other.
LO 6. Loneliness of elders in this kind of care houses stands as a global issue. Students
will put effort for this.
LO 7. Students will know and prepare the play in a way not to offend the residents of the
care house.
Connections to IB Learner Profile Attributes: Communicators, principled, caring,
balanced, reflective, open-minded

Experience (or Project): Model United Nations

CAS Strand/s: Creativity, Activity, Service
Brief overview: Students will organize international MUN conferences. This conference
will have 2 teams. One of them is organization team. The other is Academic team.

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Organization team will be responsible for finance, public relations, for taking pictures
during the experience, conference managing and logistics. Academic team will be
responsible for creating the agenda items, writing the study guides, handing out the
countries to the committees and so on. The organization can take 3 days including debates
with other countries representatives. In coffee breaks, they can have some fun sessions
such as just dance. At the end, they can write resolution papers for the global problems
that they have debated.
Evidence of the Learning Outcomes:
LO 1: Students will be able to see themselves as a representative of a different country as
individually.
LO 2: Students will be able to develop their skills such as writing a resolution or
brainstorming with the global issues.
LO 3: This process needs great connections with the others who are responsible for
making this organization. Students will be able to organize and think every step of this
experience in details.
LO 4: Students will be able to be active during the experience, I mean both in the
preparation process and during the experience.
LO 5: Students will be able to cooperate with each other during the process so that they
can see their missing parts and help how to do it better together.
LO 6: Students will be able to think about international and global issues so that they can
find appropriate solutions to these problems. Because they will debate about global
problems such as refugees, human rights etc.
LO 7: Students will be able to show awareness.
Connections to IB Learner Profile Attributes: balanced, inquirers, knowledgeable,
thinkers, communicators, caring, reflective, risk-takers, open-minded, principled

SOME EXAMPLES OF CAS EXPERIENCES AND CAS PROJECTS

● MUN Conferences, which students actively organize the experience themselves.

● Fundraising theatre writing and acting
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 ● Cycling tour for disabled people
● Creating a short movie for Human Rights Day
● Renovation of old toy cars
● Attention enhancer systems designed for school crossings
● Pen friend from different countries with different cultures
● Scuba-diving
● Rock climbing
● Tent camp
● TED Talks
● Storytelling for disabled people
● Starting a debate team
● Organizing a beach clean-up with students: find a local company who will dispose
of the trash and recycling and spend a few hours cleaning the beach.
● Design a poster campaign for being clean
● Designing medical masks
● Essay competition
● Organizing a trip to Konya Mevlana Museum for examining Mevlana’s Mesnevi
● Organizing poetry recitation with Orhan Veli’s poems
● Visiting the business company
● Joining the cook workshop
● Organizing the competition of “Countdown” on International Mathematics Day
● Organizing “Açı’s Got Talent”

THE TEMPLATE OF CAS PORTFOLIO

CAS PORTFOLIO

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Students will present their CAS portfolio as a web blog as it will be easier to share documents
and photos. There will be a comment section for students’ sharing, so any friend who follows
the student can post comments, give feedback and express themselves in a way to reflect in
Google Classroom.

A list of experiences/projects in CAS Portfolio

Experience (or Project):

CAS Strand/s:
Brief overview:
Evidence of the Learning Outcomes:

Connections to IB Learner Profile Attributes:

REFERENCES

● Creativity, Activity, Service Guide in 2017, International Baccalaureate

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● Creativity, Activity, Service Teacher Support Material, International
Baccalaureate
● Programme Standards and Practices, International Baccalaureate
● Aci College IBDP Policies
● Diploma Programme Assessment Procedures, International Baccalaureate

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