IB Service in Action - CAS

Service in Action- for 6th through 10th graders:
Service in Action (SA) is one of the components of the MYP.  There are seven different outcomes that students reflect on as they complete various activities. Those outcomes are: 

  • become more aware of their own strengths and areas for growth
  • undertake challenges that develop new skills
  • discuss, evaluate and plan student-initiated activities
  • persevere in action
  • work collaboratively with others
  • develop international-mindedness through global engagement, multilingualism and intercultural understanding
  • consider the ethical implications of their actions.

In grades 6-8, students should complete 15 service hours over the three years. See Mrs. Wegscheid for additional help or questions.

In grades 9-10, students should complete 30 service hours over the two years. See Mrs. Maldonado for additional help or questions.

Students keep track of service hours on ManageBac. They complete a reflection and upload it to ManageBac.  

Entering Service Hours in ManageBac: students’ view of accessing the Service as Action worksheet to enter service hours.

Download the Service Reflection template for:
Word (windows) - - - Pages (mac) - - - PDF (for print)

The MYP aims to help students develop their personal understanding, their emerging sense of self and their developmentally appropriate responsibility in their community. In the IB continuum, this continues with the service component of the DP’s creativity, activity, service (CAS) requirements, in which students continue to increase their awareness of their own strengths and areas for growth, undertake new challenges, plan and initiate activities, work collaboratively with others, show perseverance and commitment, engage with locally and globally significant challenges and consider the ethical implications of their actions.

As students become more aware and acquire a better understanding of the context, and of their responsibilities, they become empowered to make choices about how to take thoughtful and positive action. This action will be different from student to student and from context to context. The action may involve students in:

  • feeling empathy towards others
  • making small-scale changes to their behaviour
  • undertaking larger and more significant projects
  • acting on their own
  • acting collaboratively
  • taking physical action
  • suggesting modifications to an existing system to the benefit of all involved lobbying people in more influential positions to act.

The service as action continuum could be summarized by the following diagram.

Service requires that students are able to build authentic connections between what they learn in the classroom and what they encounter in the community. When connected to classroom learning, the experience of service offers opportunities to apply concepts, skills and knowledge. Students explore the community in its complexity as they gain personal insight and become more confident and responsible. Through service as action they become “actors” in the “real world” beyond school.

International Baccalaureate Organization,
MYP: from principles into practice, September 2017, pp. 21-22

Service for and with others
Service activities should evolve beyond doing for others to engaging with others in a shared commitment towards the common good. Meaningful service requires understanding of an underlying issue such as poverty, literacy or pollution, and authenticating the need for this service. Meaningful service includes interaction, such as building links with individuals or groups in the community. To align with the general principle that the rights, dignity and autonomy of all those involved in service are respected means that identification of needs towards which a service activity will be directed has to involve prior communication and full consultation with the community or individual concerned. This approach, based on a collaborative exchange, maximizes the potential benefits for all the people involved, including learning opportunities for students as they develop and strengthen communication abilities.

International Baccalaureate Organization,
MYP: from principles into practice, September 2017, pp. 23

 

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