| Creativity, Action and Service |
   CAS stands for Creativity, Action and Service, and it is a central element in the Diploma programme. It is an exciting possibility for youngsters to enjoy experiential learning and be involved in activities with real-life consequences. CAS provides opportunities for students to look up from their books and demands that they plunge into the world around them.Students are expected to complete approximately 150 hours of CAS activities, but the quality of what they do takes pride of place in satisfying the requirements. Varied and authentic activities will enable the student to fulfil the Eight Learning Outcomes and develop the attributes described in the IB Learner Profile.At the International School of Nice students are involved in a range of CAS activities both inside and outside school. The School Musical :An example of a popular in-school activity is participation in the annual musical. Chicago and Beauty and the Beast are examples of recent productions. They involve students in intensive work over a six-month period, culminating in four performances shown to a public of nearly a thousand people. Students may be actors, singers, dancers, members of tech team, stage managers or public relations persons. Those already talented are stretched, while many other students discover new skills and affinities. Being part of an ensemble is fundamental and the excitement is unrivalled at the final performances which are attended by people from the local community and from further afield. Model United Nations : Model United Nations is a CAS activity that starts in school and culminates in a week-long stay in Holland . Students attend weekly meetings where they learn formal debating techniques and draw on knowledge derived from personal research into the country they are representing. The MUN Director makes every effort to give students the chance to represent a country from the developing world, so increasing their global awareness and empathy with very different cultures and economic situations. The exchange with thousands of other international students at The Hague and the experience of resolution-writing, lobbying and public speaking offer unforgettable moments to MUN participants. The Tanzania Project : The Tanzania Project has been running for two years at ISN. Hosted by the International School of Moshi, some twenty 11th Graders from ISN spend 10 days helping build a village primary school, getting to know the children and to understand something of the local culture, as well as enjoying a couple of days fun on safari! The build-up to the trip involves awareness and fund-raising all year. Students describe their experience in Tanzania as ‘life-changing’ and their understanding of often abstract theories on ‘education’, ‘poverty’, ‘social opportunity’ and ‘responsibility’ changes fundamentally. Students feel empowered and it is on their initiative that ISN has started supplying milk to a local orphanage and sponsoring a teenage student who could not otherwise afford secondary education. A range of opportunities : ISN students are involved in a host of other CAS activities. These range from volunteering at a local Leukaemia Association and a Retirement Home, to participating in sponsored charity runs in aid of children needing heart surgery; from playing in a French Handball team or studying a martial art, to completing diving qualifications and learning under-water photography; from participating in Earth Day or Children’s Rights Day, to assisting in Kindergarten, working in a bird sanctuary or acquiring First Aid qualifications... Student self-evaluation : Students create their own CAS programme with guidance from the CAS advisers and coordinator. Some 150 hours are expected over the two-year Diploma programme and self-evaluation is a key part of the process. Students are required to reflect on their strengths and areas for improvement, on their ability to work in a team and to be independent and responsible, to be aware that their attitudes and actions have practical and ethical consequences, and that they do have the capacity to make a difference. For further information, please contact the CAS coordinator at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it |
