Journal entry 1

1. What is the meaning of CAS to you? Why is it something that is required by the IB and the MEP? Why did you choose to do your project? What resources are available to help you succeed?

To me, CAS is the opportunity students get to contribute or help their community through activities or services they enjoy and are passionate about. CAS is a way to teach kids through experience and allows an opportunity for self-growth, development, and improving skills such as collaboration and leadership. CAS is required by the IB because it is part of its core values. It allows students to help the community and learn about the impact they can have on others. Some resources I have in order to succeed are Miss Amy, Miss Gaby, my brother, friends, and family. These people will help me succeed because they have either had experience related to CAS in the past or are my partners or my biggest supporters. 

2. How has CAS changed because of COVID? Or has it? Have the community needs to be changed? If so, how? If not, explain.

Each CAS project is unique and different and because of this COVID could affect certain aspects of people’s projects. Depending on the project, COVID could have a greater impact. For example, if someone wanted to take underprivileged kids abroad, COVID would play a big factor in the outcome of the project, compared to a local project involving less contact and fewer people. One of the 7 learning outcomes of CAS is working collaboratively with others. COVID would make this specific aspect more difficult because of protocols, but it won’t be impossible. Overcoming the obstacles COVID has created also relates to the CAS learning outcomes. COVID has had a huge impact all over the world and community needs have been shifted. Specifically, in my community, I have noticed how job employment decreased because businesses had to shut down. This caused the community to need new job opportunities in order to support their families. Unemployed residents struggled to purchase food or even pay for their rent. The community began teaching people how to grow their own produce in order to save money. 

3. Evaluate the project that you are doing. Is there a way to start the project over the summer, at least lay the groundwork? If not, why? If so, how and what will you do?

A general idea of what my CAS project will look like is that I and two classmates will collaborate with ELEVATE to provide dance opportunities to CEPIA kids. Additionally, we would like to offer transportation and workout clothing because we have noticed the lack of both. As of right now, our project is still an idea and we have not figured out exactly how it will work.  Although we have communicated with both ELEVATE and CEPIA we have only done so once and since then our ideas have changed a little. Over the summer break, I can communicate with Gaby in order to plan out important aspects of the project. Doing this will allow me and my teammates to start next year with a solid foundation for our project and begin collaborating with CEPIA. This will connect to the CAS learning outcome “demonstrates how to initiate and plan a CAS experience” because it will turn a broad idea into a structured plan. We will be able to identify any flaws and weaknesses before school starts again.