Who you become through what you do

How Creativity, Activity and Service Shapes Lifelong Learners

Estimated reading time: 7 minutes

Creativity, Activity and Service (CAS) is a compulsory component of the IB Diploma Program that encourages students to engage in genuine personal self-development through experiential learning both with individual experiences and collaborative projects within the strands of creativity, activity and service. Each strand provides students with opportunities to discover their interests, develop new skills and take responsibility for their own growth. Together, they encourage young people to recognise that education extends beyond academic achievement and includes the development of character, confidence and a sense of purpose.

Building a Culture of Creativity, Activity and Service

At La Garenne, we have built a strong culture of Creativity, Activity and Service where students consistently engage with meaningful experiences beyond the curriculum to help them build life-long skills. From regular school band performances, to weekly skiing, to annual service trips in locations such as Thailand and Kenya, students have plenty of opportunity to add depth to their learning and enrich their educational experience. More importantly, these experiences help to shape our students into global citizens who value social responsibility and have a clearer understanding of their own potential to make a difference in the world. This is something that we have seen with our own alumni but is also supported by studies on the long term impacts of the CAS program specifically (McIntosh, 2018). There are a great many successful business ideas that started off as CAS project ideas!

What makes these opportunities particularly valuable is the variety of challenges they present. Some students may discover an unexpected talent, while others may learn to overcome uncertainty, communicate more effectively or contribute to a shared goal. These experiences encourage students to step outside their comfort zones and understand that personal development often begins when they try something unfamiliar.

Embedding CAS in the Curriculum

Although CAS is a fantastic opportunity for students to learn outside of the classroom, students and staff at La Garenne are also encouraged to embed CAS into the curriculum to help students deepen their understanding of their academic learning. Evidence from Jose et al. (2017) suggests that experiential learning improves knowledge construction and engagement as well as facilitating a deeper and more interconnected understanding of academic learning.

To provide a limited range of examples; students will apply concepts learned in creative subjects such as the arts or languages to create inspiring products or performances. Students will combine their scientific knowledge with physical activity to investigate the human body in a more practical context. Students will apply their learning of social entrepreneurship from Business Management to engage with issues of global significance.

Planning and initiating these experiences and projects allows students to engage with their learning on a much deeper level which not only improves retention of knowledge but increases engagement and enjoyment of the academic subject. The aim of embedding CAS into the curriculum is to encourage a love of learning and develop life-long learners who are not afraid to learn through adventure and failure. By connecting academic knowledge with practical experiences, students can begin to understand why the concepts they study matter beyond the classroom. This approach encourages them to ask questions, make connections between subjects and apply their knowledge in unfamiliar situations. It also helps them recognise that making mistakes and adapting their approach are important parts of the learning process. Rather than seeing subjects as separate areas of study, students can develop a broader understanding of how knowledge can be used to address real-world challenges.

Reflection That Leads to Action

The aspect of CAS that adds the most value to students is the process of reflection. Purposeful reflection is a difficult skill to master but the process of looking backwards and inwards in order to move forwards and upwards is a powerful one. Students are encouraged through Harvard Project Zero Thinking Routines to use their emotions as data to help them understand their own values systems so that they can take values-aligned actions in the future (David, 2022). Reflection is only a useful tool if it is structured, linked to goals and followed by action (Zhai et al., 2023) which is why our students set SMART targets as part of their experience or project proposal process, use thinking routines to structure their reflections and are encouraged to reflect during their ongoing experiences, not just at the end.

Without purposeful reflection, CAS can just be a set of enjoyable co-curricular activities with short term benefits, however, we are aiming to develop life-long learners who take values-aligned actions and understand their own desires and ambitions. In order to achieve this, we teach students how to reflect purposefully and guide their reflections through our pastoral tutor program and CAS lessons. This reflective approach encourages students to look beyond whether an activity was successful and consider what they learned about themselves throughout the experience. For example, a student may initially focus on completing a challenging project but later recognise that the greatest achievement was learning to collaborate, manage their time or respond positively to setbacks. By identifying these lessons, students can apply them to future experiences and make more informed decisions. Reflection therefore becomes an ongoing habit rather than a task completed at the end of an activity. It helps young people recognise their progress, understand their motivations and develop greater confidence in their ability to navigate new challenges.

Staff CAS: Leading by Example

To lead by example, we also have our Staff CAS program where staff will role model what active engagement and purposeful reflection look like through their own mini-portfolios which are shared with students at regular intervals through assemblies and various media platforms. It is incredible to see the diverse talents of our staff body and to exemplify that a love of learning new skills never ends.

Students can see open and honest reflections from our staff members on a range of experiences which inspires them to take a similar approach to their CAS engagement. Seeing teachers and other members of staff embrace new challenges reinforces the idea that learning is a lifelong journey. It also allows students to appreciate that personal growth is not always straightforward and that perseverance, curiosity and a willingness to improve remain important at every stage of life. By sharing both achievements and difficulties, staff can demonstrate the value of approaching unfamiliar experiences with an open mind. This creates opportunities for meaningful conversations between students and adults about ambition, resilience and the importance of continuing to develop new skills.

Ultimately, the benefits of CAS extend well beyond the two years of the IB Diploma Programme. The ability to reflect thoughtfully, work with others, take initiative and respond constructively to challenges can support students as they move towards university and adult life. These experiences help young people build a stronger understanding of their own interests, values and responsibilities, encouraging them to approach future opportunities with curiosity and confidence.

It is this process of reflection that makes CAS at La Garenne much more than just a compulsory part of the IB Diploma Program, it is who you become through what you do.

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References

David, S. (2022). Recognizing Your Emotions as Data, Not Directives. [online] Susan David. Available at: https://www.susandavid.com/newsletter/recognizing-your-emotions-as-data-not-directives/.

Jose, S., Patrick, P.G. and Moseley, C. (2017) ‘Experiential learning theory: The importance of outdoor classrooms in environmental education’, International Journal of Science Education, 39(5), pp. 613–627.

McIntosh, E. (2018) The enduring impact of Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS) in the IB Diploma Programme: the alumni study. Bethesda, MD: International Baccalaureate Organization.

Zhai, N., Huang, Y., Ma, X. and Chen, J. (2023) ‘Can reflective interventions improve students’ academic achievement? A meta-analysis’, Thinking Skills and Creativity, 49, p. 101373.