The future bright - Connecting CAS and the IB subjects

As a CAS Coordinator, I find my job to be incredibly rewarding in so many ways, due to the opportunities, the support and the passion of our students. At UWC Thailand, we emphasise community service and experiential learning, recognising that education extends beyond the classroom. As I reflect on the Grade 12 CAS final interviews that took place in March, I can't help but feel proud of what they have achieved over the last eighteen months. Although some students may have viewed CAS as a separate component of their education, most have come to appreciate the valuable experiences it provided.

Numerous students have discovered that the abilities and knowledge acquired through CAS have significantly aided their academic endeavours, such as gathering data and conducting research for their internal assessments and extended essays. A prime example is the Case Study on the Environmental, Political and Social Impact of a Single-Use Plastic Bag Ban in Phuket, Thailand. The study concludes that with the assistance of local environmental non-governmental organizations, a single-use plastic bag ban in Phuket will be crucial in promoting environmental awareness in the region and the country while having a minimal observable ecological impact.

Helping our students connect their? IB coursework with service experiences allows them to apply what they have learned in the classroom to real-world situations, providing valuable hands-on learning. For instance, in their biology and ESS classes, students learnt about the importance of biodiversity in ecosystems. Through their involvement in the UWC Thailand Manta Mangroves Co-Curriculum program, they witnessed the devastating effects of habitat destruction on the local flora and fauna. This firsthand experience helps them better understand the consequences of human actions on the environment, reinforcing the importance of conservation efforts.

One of the Biology IA projects that stands out is the study on mangroves, which was a direct result of a student's participation in the Mangrove Co-Curriculum program. This program allowed the student to identify an area of interest and choose a topic for investigation. The project specifically focused on the impact of different mangrove species on growth under identical environmental conditions, over a period of 12 weeks at the school's nursery. In collaboration with the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, the student determined the most suitable species for the nursery. Extensive research was conducted on the growth patterns of various species, including Rhizophora mucronata, Rhizophora apiculata, Brugiera gymnorrhiza, Bruguiera cylindrica, and Ceriops tagal. After planting multiple species, the study revealed that Bruguiera cylindrica exhibited the highest growth rate under the specific conditions present at the UWC Thailand nursery. The project demonstrated the effectiveness of hands-on learning and the importance of interdisciplinary collaborations for real-world problem-solving.

CAS experiences also allow students to explore topics or issues in more depth than they would in a classroom setting. Including these experiences in their assessments or essays has helped add depth and breadth to the analysis and arguments, whether in a language or in a Global Politics oral. For example, one of our students studied how political actors in Thailand influence ideologies and access to human rights such as medical care and art's role in countering such ideologies. The findings showed that art is a valuable tool to normalise the discussion of taboo topics in deeply religious and/or elderly settings.

As a CAS Coordinator, I encourage students to recognize the power of connecting IB coursework with CAS experiences. By doing so, they can develop important skills, gain a deeper understanding of complex issues, and become more well-rounded individuals. In the words of one student, "By choosing to use my service experiences to collect data, I was able to optimize my time and mental resources. Not only did it allow me to combine tasks efficiently, but it also enabled me to enhance my service work through the new knowledge I gained. This experience reinforced my passion for environmental conservation and human rights, which was integral to my participation. Looking back, I have no regrets, as I was able to work smarter, not harder. Now that I have found my perfect course at college, combining human rights and arts, I am so thankful for the opportunities I have had and so excited for the future ".