The Learning Outcomes

1. Identify your own strengths and develop areas for personal growth.

What it REALLY means: When you leave your comfort zone, you learn things about yourself. For example, when you organised a fundraiser for Kenya, were you patient with other people? If not, why not? Maybe you could try to improve this area of personal growth. When you saw those homeless people in a soup kitchen you worked at were you shocked? If yes, why? Could this help you improve your perception of the world and help you become a more open-minded individual?

2. Demonstrate that challenges have been undertaken, developing new skills in the process.

What it REALLY means: What have you done to push yourself? What was unfamiliar about it? What skills do you think you developed? For example, have you run a marathon? Set yourself a goal before embarking on a new experience and develop new skills to achieve your goal.

3. Demonstrate how to initiate and plan a CAS experience.

What it REALLY means: This one’s easy! When you are organising your CAS events or activities, just make sure you keep notes on how you organised them, who you contacted and what the organisational process was like.

4. Show commitment to and perseverance in CAS experiences.

What it REALLY means: All IB diploma students are thinking the same thing – why do we have to do this when we have so much to do already? You are not alone. It sounds unbelievable now, but you will benefit from it so much in the future. Whatever happens, keep going! Take one-step at a time and you will reach your end goal.

5. Demonstrate the skills and recognize the benefits of working collaboratively.

What it REALLY means: Participate in team activities. Simple. One of the best and most fun parts of CAS (the project in particular) is the teamwork. This can range from organising a school wide event for AIDS day, to being involved in a volunteer group. You are stronger when you work in a team. Think of Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi – they are soccer stars but without their teammates, they wouldn’t have accomplished what they have today.

6. Demonstrate engagement with issues of global significance.

What it REALLY means: There are so many global issues right now it’s hard to know which one to support most. Global warming, the refugee crisis, homelessness, cancer research? You want some advice – pick one per year and think what you can do to help that cause from where you are. Plan it. Initiate it. Do it. That’s CAS! You can also have a look at the UN Sustainable Development Goals or the UN days and see which issue you are interested in and can tackle.

7. Recognise and consider the ethics of choices and actions.

What it REALLY means: Your parents have been telling you this for as long as you can remember and your teachers joined in a little later: The things you do and the choices you make have consequences. Think about the CAS activities you are doing and how they affect others. Is what you are doing right or wrong? How?

The 7 Learning outcomes:

​LO 1: Identify own strengths and develop areas for growth. (ABOUT ME)

The student:

• is aware of own strengths and weaknesses

• is open to improvement and growth opportunities

• is able to propose experiences according to own interests and talents

• is willing to participate in different experiences

• is able to undertake a thoughtful self-evaluation

• is able to see themselves as individuals with various abilities and skills, some more developed than others.

To help you with the above LO, try and answer the following questions;

• Interests

What are your main interests?

• Skills

What unique skills would you say you have?

• Goals

What are your personal goals?

• Connections

What school, community or other groups or teams are you involved in?

• Roles and Responsibilities

What do you think your role could be in effecting change for the better?

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LO 2: Demonstrate that challenges have been undertaken, developing new skills in the process. (SKILLS)

A new challenge may be an unfamiliar experience or an extension of an existing one. The newly acquired or developed skills may be shown through experiences that the student has not previously undertaken or through increased expertise in an established area.

The student:

• participates in an experience that demands an appropriate personal challenge; this could be with new or familiar experiences

• is willing to become involved in unfamiliar environments and situations

• acquires new skills and abilities

• increases expertise in an established area

• shows newly acquired or developed skills or increased expertise in an established area.

LO 3: Demonstrate how to initiate and plan a CAS experience. (INITIATIVE)

The student:

• is able to articulate and use the CAS stages including investigation, preparation, action, reflection (ongoing) and demonstration, moving from conceiving an idea to carrying out a plan for a CAS experience or series of CAS experiences

• demonstrates knowledge and awareness by building on a previous CAS experience

• shows initiative by launching a new idea or process

• suggests creative ideas, proposals or solutions

• integrates reflective thoughts in planning or taking initiative

• is aware of roles and responsibilities when designing an individual or collective CAS experience

• shows responsible attitude to CAS project planning

• is able to develop a coherent action plan

LO 4: Show commitment to and perseverance in CAS experiences. (PERSEVERANCE)

The student:

• demonstrates regular involvement and active engagement with CAS experiences and CAS project

• is able to foresee potential challenges to the initial plan and consider valid alternatives and contingencies

• demonstrates adaptability to uncertainties and changes

• gets involved in long-term CAS experiences and CAS project

LO 5: Demonstrate the skills and recognise the benefits of working collaboratively (COLLABORATION)

The student:

• shares skills and knowledge

• listens respectfully to proposals from peers

• is willing to take on different roles within a team

• shows respect for different points of view and ideas

• makes valuable contributions

• is responsible for participating in the group

• readily assists others

• is able to identify, demonstrate and discuss critically the benefits and challenges of collaboration gained through CAS experiences

LO 6: Demonstrate engagement with issues of global significance (EXPLORATION).

The student:

• recognizes the global implications of local issues

• is able to identify global issues in the local or national community

• shows awareness of issues of global importance and takes concrete and appropriate actions in response to them either locally, nationally or internationally

• gets involved in CAS projects addressing global issues in a local, national or international context

• develops awareness and responsibility towards a shared humanity

LO 7: Recognise and consider the ethics of choices and actions (ETHICS)

​The student:

• recognises ethical issues

• is able to explain the social influences on one’s ethical identity

• takes into account cultural context when making a plan or ethical decision

• identifies what is needed to know in order to make an ethical decision

• articulates ethical principles and approaches to ethical decisions

• shows accountability for choices and actions

• is aware of the consequences of choices and actions regarding self, others involved and the community

• integrates the process of reflection when facing an ethical decision

• shows awareness of the potential and varied consequences of choices and actions in planning and carrying out CAS experiences