One of the scariest parts of CAS may be the CAS project. Common questions we hear at Lanterna are ‘what is it?’ ‘how do I do it?’ and ‘what are good examples of projects?’ We’re answering all those questions in this article. It’s essential to understand the requirements of the CAS project before diving into choosing a topic, so let’s do a quick recap.
What are CAS Projects?
The CAS project is a collaborative series of CAS experiences engaging students in at least one of the CAS strands (creativity, activity, and service). You must do at least one project to complete CAS.
The main purpose of the project is to allow for growth in regard to participation in collaborative projects. The CAS project must take a minimum of one month from planning to completion but many of the examples listed exemplify an ambitious project that will take longer than a month, which is encouraged!
Your CAS project is a great way to not only uplift the community but also improve your skills in an array of areas, from improving your writing skills to how you can raise awareness for a campaign and maintain financial accounts.
CAS Project Ideas
So… what are some examples of great CAS projects? Read through our list of 50 potential CAS Projects below to spark some inspiration and help you find the perfect CAS Project to take on!
NOTE: This list is made up of CAS Project ideas gathered from Official IBO Resources or successful CAS projects from our IB graduates. Before choosing your final CAS project idea make sure to consult with your CAS Coordinator and bring your project full circle at the end with CAS reflections.
Creativity Project Ideas
- Organize and execute weekly rap battles at your school to eventually crown one ultimate winner.
- Organize and execute weekly stand-up comedy events at your school to eventually crown one ultimate winner.
- A student group plans, designs, and creates a mural (official IB example).
- A student group sets up regular after-school music classes for younger students culminating in a final performance.
- Students organize a school fashion show for creative and talented students to display their garments.
- A student group sets up an after-school extracurricular activity for the student body. This could be a choir, a dance group, RPG, Lego building, or anything else you can think of!
- Set up Lip Sync Battles at your school during lunchtimes. Conduct the competition over several weeks and ultimately declare a winner.
- Start an MUN club at your school and join some international school MUN meets!
- Set up a food blog where you go around and review local restaurants.
Service Project Ideas
- Students set up an initiative at the schools for students to be able to volunteer at local homeless shelters.
- Host a book drive!
- Create and distribute handmade sanitary towels to girls that don’t have access to menstrual products.
- Read to students at a local primary school.
- Students set up and conduct tutoring for people in need (official IB example). Fun fact – this is how Lanterna got its start 15 years ago!
- Organise a toy drive before the festive months to donate gifts to disadvantaged children.
- Volunteer as gardeners in a local public space.
- Form a group to teach children how to do first aid.
- Save the environment by regularly going out and planting trees, and perhaps setting up a club so that others can follow in your footsteps.
- Find a local public area – e.g. a beach, forest or park – and form a clean-up club!
- Teach others a new language! You can tutor them to enable them to progress.
- Form a recycling club to take of separating materials that your school might be throwing into landfills unnecessarily for your CAS project.
- Help with an infrastructure project. For instance, helping build a playground at the local primary school.
Activity Ideas
- Students organize and participate in a sports team including training sessions and matches against other teams (official IB example).
Activity and Service Ideas
- Students organize, plan, and execute a local football tournament with entry proceeds going to local food banks.
- Referee a number of local football matches.
- Set up an after-school sports activity for younger students at your school. This could involve competitions, games, or just training for that particular sport.
- Check out if your school offers any service trips. Sign up to become a part of it!
- Students plan and participate in the planting and maintenance of a garden with members of the local community (official IB example).
- Become a manager! Contact the school’s coach (football, basketball, baseball, or any other sport) and see if you can volunteer as an assistant coach for the season.
- Students organize, plan, and execute a local netball tournament with entry proceeds going to a local mental health charity.
- Set yourself a physical challenge – e.g. cycling 500 kilometres – and collect donations to give to charity.
- Volunteer to help out as a lifeguard and help clean a local pool for your CAS project.
- Form a Yoga group and conduct sessions in local nursing homes.
- Students organize, plan, and execute a local basketball tournament. You can raise money and donate the entry proceeds to a local homeless shelter.
Creativity and Service Ideas
- Regularly host a bake sale with cakes, cookies, and pastries and deliver them to a local community retirement home.
- Set up a website that has healthy food recipes to promote better choices amongst your peers.
- Hold an art competition and then display the entries during a gallery night to raise money and then donate the profits to a charity.
- CAS students put together a concert at school and donate the proceeds to a charity.
- Students write, plan, film, edit, and release a movie. Screen this movie at the school and donate proceeds to a charity.
- CAS students can organize a school talent show with proceeds going to local charities.
- Set up an international fair at your school. Students and parents can bring food and drinks from their home countries as well as have their own booths where they can teach others about their culture.
- Set up a musical performance for people at your local hospital.
- Create a birthday project at your school where all students and teachers are delivered a gift or candy on their birthday!
- Make a play and perform it at your school. The proceeds will then be donated to charity.
- Students identify that children at a local school need backpacks and subsequently design and make the backpacks out of recycled materials (official IB example).
- Host a video game tournament for your CAS project with the entrance fees all donated to charity.
- Help create and be in charge of the school yearbook!
- Write some book reviews for your local library.
- Students rehearse and perform a dance production for a community retirement home (official IB example).
Creativity and Activity Ideas
50.Students choreograph a routine for their marching band (official IB example).
CAS Projects for Younger Students
So there we have it, 50 top ideas to get you thinking about what you might do for your CAS project! Lanterna support younger students with their CAS project endeavours. These projects are a requirement for IB students at an IB world school. Speak to your CAS coordinator about your ideas and the relevant CAS components in order to make the most out of your project.