What is CAS and What is Not?

What is CAS and What is Not?

When selecting a CAS Experience it is essential to discuss your plans with your CAS advisor before you start to make sure it is suitable. 

Every CAS Experience should be challenging, involve you undertaking a new role, be a real task (not menial) and have real consequences.

Here are some examples of Community Service Projects incorporating two or three of the CAS Strands

Teaching children who have a disability to swim (activity, service)

– New role: Swimming instructor

– Real Task: To pass on knowledge and skills to others

– Real Consequences: The children have fun, exercise and learn to swim

Coaching a football team (activity, service)

– New role: football coach

– Real task: To pass on knowledge and skills to others

– Real Consequences: The children have fun, exercise and learn to play football

Teaching the guitar to a younger class (creativity, service)

– New role: Instrumental music teacher

– Real task: Making music together

– Real Consequences: Improved individual and group proficiency in music

Writing for the school newspaper (creativity, service)

– New role: Journalist

– Real task: Presenting and writing newspaper articles to deadlines

– Real consequences: Publication of work

Organising a clearing a beach of pollution, litter  (activity, service)

– New role: Environmental worker

– Real task: Cleaning up the pollution

– Real consequences: Environmental improvement

Organising a “Walkathon” to raise money for guide dogs for people who are blind

(creativity, activity, service)

–  New role: Organiser, walk participant, assisting people who are blind

– Real task: Planning and publicising, walking with people who are blind, raising money

– Real consequences: People who are blind are provided with guide dogs

Assisting victims of natural disasters (creativity, activity, service)

– New role: Charity campaigner

– Real task: Arranging collection and delivery of blankets, tents, food and medical supplies for victims

– Real consequences: Practical help for people who have suffered the damage of a natural disaster

Examples that are not CAS Experiences:

Learning to drive

A skiing holiday with your family

Playing an instrument in the school orchestra/singing in the school choir as you have for many years (how is this challenging?)

Playing in the same sports team that you have for many years (how is this challenging?)

Participating in any sport without a personal goal (how is this challenging?)

Recreational swimming (splashing without a personal goal)

Walking to school (unless you live in Tai Po!)

Playing pool, snooker or bowling 

P.E. lessons

Not CAS Service:

Any activity for which you are paid

Housework (that is being a good son, not CAS)

Doing simple, repetitive work such as putting books back on shelves (how is this challenging?)

Work that is not providing a service to those in need

Informally helping a friend with homework

Asking for donations without doing something