First strand of CAS | Importance and Approaches to Creativity

Personal involvement, choice, and pleasure of CAS experiences are essential components of a student's CAS program. Students engage in a range of CAS activities over the course of the diploma program, ideally on a weekly basis for at least 18 months.

Students engage in CAS experiences involving one or more of the three CAS strands.

• Creativity
• Activity
• Service

Let’s understand the importance and approaches to creativity. 

Creativity

Creativity is an important aspect of the CAS (Creativity, Activity, Service) program in the International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum. It is designed to encourage students to explore their own sense of original thinking and expression through a variety of creative endeavors. This could include visual and performing arts, digital design, writing, film, culinary arts, crafts, and composition. The form of expression is limitless, and students are encouraged to engage in creative endeavors that push them beyond the familiar and encourage unconventional thinking.

Students who are accomplished in a particular creative form, such as music, painting, or acting, may choose to extend their involvement and deepen their skills in that area. They can set new challenges and objectives for themselves to further their creativity in CAS. For example, a musician may compose and perform a guitar solo, an artist may create a new sculpture or photographic series, and an actor may present an original dramatic piece.

When demonstrating creative expression, students may showcase their work or performance in a variety of ways, such as through a recording, presentation, exhibition, social media, or shared discussion. The goal of the CAS program is to encourage students to explore their creativity, take action to pursue their interests and passions, and contribute to their communities through service projects.

Creativity in CAS involves actively participating in and creating something original, rather than simply appreciating the creative efforts of others. While students can be inspired by their Diploma coursework, the creativity experiences must be distinct from and may not be included or used as part of their course requirements.

As with all CAS experiences, students are encouraged to reflect meaningfully on their engagement with creativity. This includes looking for moments of personal significance or inspiration and using those as opportunities for reflection. Students may use a variety of methods to reflect on their creativity experiences, such as through art, music, writing, photos, or other creative means.

Overall, the goal of the CAS program is to encourage students to develop and explore their creativity, take action to pursue their interests and passions, and contribute to their communities through service projects. It is an important aspect of the IB curriculum and helps students develop important skills and qualities that will serve them well in their future studies and careers.

Approaches to creativity

There are many approaches to creativity, such as:

• Ongoing creativity: Students should be encouraged to further extend and develop their participation in order to challenge themselves and deepen their skills and understanding. This could involve setting new goals or objectives for themselves, seeking additional training or resources, or collaborating with others to create something new and original.

It is important for students to find ways to engage in creativity that are meaningful and challenging for them, and to reflect on their experiences in order to gain a deeper understanding of their own creative processes and potential. By encouraging students to push themselves and explore new possibilities, they can develop their creativity and discover new strengths and passions.

• School-based creativity: These experiences can take many forms and may be offered through a variety of school-based activities, such as service projects, clubs, and timetabled sessions.

It is important for students to find ways to engage in creativity that are meaningful and challenging for them, and that allow them to explore their own sense of original thinking and expression. By participating in a variety of creativity experiences, students can broaden their scope and discover new strengths and passions.

Schools may also offer opportunities for students to showcase their creative work or performances, such as through exhibitions, presentations, or concerts. This can provide students with the chance to share their creations with others and receive feedback on their work. Overall, the goal of the CAS program is to encourage students to develop and explore their creativity, take action to pursue their interests and passions, and contribute to their communities through service projects.

• Community-based creativity: Participating in creativity within the local community can be a valuable experience for students as it can help them develop a greater awareness and understanding of interpersonal relationships and the role of creativity in the community. By working with others on creative projects, students can learn how to collaborate, communicate, and contribute to the community in meaningful ways.

Creativity experiences that involve the local community can also provide students with the opportunity to build and sustain relationships over time, which can allow them to grow and develop their talents, interests, passions, and imagination. Examples of such experiences could include joining a community-based theater group, contributing to a community art gallery, creating a sculpture for the community park, or taking cooking classes.

It is important for students to find opportunities to engage in creativity that are meaningful and challenging for them, and that allow them to explore their own sense of original thinking and expression. By participating in a variety of creativity experiences within the local community, students can broaden their scope and discover new strengths and passions, while also contributing to the community and building meaningful relationships with others.

• Individual creativity: students may decide to engage in solitary creativity experiences such as composing music, developing a website, writing fiction, designing furniture, creating arts and crafts, or painting portraits as part of their CAS (Creativity, Action, Service) experiences. These types of experiences can be very rewarding for students as they allow them to focus on their own creative interests and work on them in a sustained manner.

It is important for students to set personal goals for their solitary creativity experiences and to work towards them over an extended period of time. This can help them develop their skills and understanding in their chosen area of creativity and allow them to explore new ideas and possibilities.

If applicable, it is also important to conduct a risk assessment of solitary creativity experiences before beginning them. This can help ensure the safety and well-being of the student and allow them to focus on their creative endeavors without any unnecessary distractions or concerns.