What is CAS?

[TheTroll73]

yeah, what is it exactly?

any project ideas?

[VeronicaG]

CAS refers to activities that you need to get your diploma. It stands for Creativity, Action and Service. 

Creativity hours can be gained from doing anything creative. This includes visual arts, theatre arts, music, and crafts. I joined a concert band and I know people who performed in plays and even knit blankets.

Action is basically any activity that requires physical activity. This includes most sports and even some hobbies (jogging, canoeing, etc.)

Service is basically volunteering to help the community. This can include community clean-ups, food drives, volunteering for a non-profit, etc.

With each activity, you need to fulfil certain goals. They're pretty broad, so lots of activities can satisfy them. I remember some were about creating awareness of global issues, learning a new skill, developing teamwork, and a few more. There are 8 in total. Each activity doesn't have to satisfy all 8, but maybe 1 or 2. The goal is to have a wide range of activities that satisfy the goals as a whole.

There's also a CAS Project, which is similar to an activity that you would do for CAS but you have to organise it/run it yourself. Basically take leadership on a project. My IB class always runs an orientation day for new IBs which is a CAS project.

CAS isn't a big concern for most people. Typically your current extra-curriculars can satisfy the CAS requirements as long as you continue them into IB. My class was done in the first year of IB.

[azara]

CAS is a load of irritating forms to fill out proving you've completed 150 hours of having a life and going outside.

CAS activities involve you completing 150 hours of creative, active, and serviceable tasks (hence the name Creativity, Action, Service).  Ideally, you'll do 50C, 50A, and 50S, but it doesn't really matter, as long as you get 150 hours or more.  This sounds like a lot, but it really isn't - I got the required number of hours in less than three months.  Try not to leave your hour-collecting until the final semester, because there are way more important things for you to be doing then and practising your piano for six hours every day to get the required hours will not be helpful to your grades or your stress levels.

However, if you don't get 150 hours, you don't get your diploma - even if you score 45 - so I would make sure you've done the required time.

Projects must combine at least two of C, A, and S and must be undertaken with other people.  At our school, it's not a big deal, it's just like any other activity that fulfils those requirements.  I get the impression that at other schools, it can be given some more importance.

The specifics of all of this are very easy to look up.