The last step of the CAS service learning experience is 'Demonstration'. This requires students to show what and how they learned and what they accomplished through demonstration and communication. On 15 March, the Class of 2021 individually and virtually presented their CAS Showcases and we are so proud of how well our senior students demonstrated their learning. Here one of our senior students shares his CAS experience with us.
CAS has been an experience that has significantly changed how I view the world, and the people around me. I’ve learned to adapt to situations, and pursue paths that I haven't been comfortable with before. There were four experiences that captured the true essence of my experience with CAS, and these are as follow;
My CAS project was the experience that I would say changed my perspective the most. I had contacted my CAS coordinator raising money for someone in need, and was introduced to Christopher Likoka, a disabled person in Zambia looking to open a barbershop to, in his words, put food on the table. My goal was to raise 300 euros, and I planned out my summer accordingly to have reached my goal before starting my senior year. I had very little experience with babysitting, tutoring, cleaning cars and gardening work. However, through research, especially by taking notes from YouTube videos on the various tasks, I completed my CAS project successfully. I also played to my strengths, tutoring math for the HAVO, teaching ground-level math, and teaching the basics of basketball. In combination, after nearly 3 months of planning and work, I completed my CAS project.
I was the Student Lead for the United Nations World Children’s Day (WCD), in which we organized workshops centered around the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and presented them to students through grades 6 to 10. Ms Clara, Ms Gül, and we students worked together for months in advance to bring our vision of WCD into a reality, and maximized how much we could show children about the realities of the world (such as gender inequalities, pollution of oceans, and the real cost of healthcare), while also keeping it as interesting and enjoyable as possible. It turned out to be a fantastic experience, and everyone seemed to enjoy it. It was a chance for students, especially in the lower grades, to add onto what they learn in the classroom, and have even more fun while doing so.
Basketball has been a big part of my life since I started playing six years ago. It helped me to overcome the psychological aspect of being bullied in primary school because of my weight, and also helped me to meet numerous fantastic people, including players, coaches, and even people who I have struck up a conversation with whilst playing basketball outside. I was determined to continue basketball, especially to improve myself, my physical health and mental strength, which contributed to the 'Activity' aspect of CAS (Creativity, Activity, Service). I joined numerous events and numerous teams: I got a chance to represent my school as a player of the NAISR Sharks, joined a FIBA 3x3 tournament, and also most recently played U22 (Under age 22) basketball at the basketball club Cady ‘76 with people 3-4 years older than me, a challenge that became a fantastic learning experience.
Drawing (especially sketching) had been my favourite hobby when I was younger, and I was keen to re-learn some of the basics of drawing, such as perspective and also the use of layering. Drawing for me (and art in general) is a different approach to challenge myself, much different to my studies and sports. Similar to reading books, for me, drawing acts as a supplementary activity to challenge myself and my thinking as much as possible, so I can prepare myself for the future. Drawing contributed to the ‘Creativity’ part of CAS.
Above are some of the photos from my other CAS activities, such as the colour run (Top right, and bottom left), and also LEMUN, an MUN conference I attended as a chair (bottom right).
