Dear IB Students,

I know you sometimes find yourself at a loss. In many realms of your life. When will Dr. McKenna collect IWBATs? How do I come up with an extended essay question? How does this passage relate to literary realism? It may seem like a lot.

While I can only answer one of the above questions, I know that I can help take a little bit of weight off your shoulders in the CAS area. You can all be at a loss for ways to get CAS hours, despite all of the wonderful emails Ms. Celebre sends you. Those activities just don’t seem to call to you in the same way that Netflix of a passing grade in physics does. But fear not! Two weeks of thorough research has led me to some fun ways to spice up your CAS portfolio that you can fit into your busy schedule and… actually enjoy? We’ll see.

Let’s get started:

Creativity

1. Take a Coursera course online

For those of you who don’t know, coursera is a website that offers free online courses from everywhere from Harvard to the Museum of Modern Art and cover topics from economics to fashion. They can be relatively low commitment but allow you to learn something new!

2. Learn to paint!
3. Your late night stress baking? That’s Creativity hours.
4. All the photos you take on your phone can count as photography (if you put in some effort)
5. Write about what you’re passionate about!

Whether this be movie reviews, style tips or robotics, just write! Get your work published here or on Zenith, and it totally counts as CAS hours. You know you’re going to end up talking about it anyway, just write it down and get some credit!

6. Journaling!

Not only is it a healthy habit, but also journaling can help you grow as a writer and thinker. 

7. Experiment with flower arranging
8. Knit! 
9. Make furniture out of cardboard (it’s more sturdy than you think)
10. Start a blog about anything!
11. Make some collages with old materials found around your house
12. Document your travels

If your family travels a lot, or even if you just find yourself wandering around the city often, use it for CAS! Write about it, sketch it, or take pictures of it!

13. Start a band
14. Experiment with food!

Don’t just cook dinner like you usually do, try and create your own recipes or flavor combinations. It won’t always be great but you might find something you love!

15. Make some home movies or fun videos with your friends
16. Start a YouTube channel 
17. Finally follow through on that startup idea

If you’ve been meaning to start a business or charity, do it! Though you can’t get CAS credit for activities you earn money for, the planning and creative process behind the project can be pitched as CAS.

18. Make some jewelry
19. Do sneaker or shoe art
20. Join (or start) and improv group
21. Write the next Parks and Rec

If silly home movies aren’t your thing, try writing scripts for plays, TV shows or movies. You never know where it could take you!

22. Write some music 
23. Build a robot
24. If you’re in band, orchestra, or choir… put it down!
25. Make your own candles
26. Or soaps, or bath bombs!
27. Try calligraphy (it’s quite soothing)
28. According to this blog, if you pitch it right, you can get CAS credit for playing video games
29. Student Council can count for creativity, not just service!
30. Write poetry
31. Start DIYing or upcycling some of you decor or home items
32. Design your future home (or homes???)

If you’re interested in architecture and design, you’re in luck! The house or apartment designs you dream up in your head could be CAS hours if you just sketch them out or put them in a home design program

33. Embroider your clothes for a fun pop of color

Action

1. Do the Cynwyd Trail Cleanup

Find events and dates here and help the park stay clean. Linwood Park does something similar if you need something closer. 

2. Go camping (try and hike a little, not just in your backyard)
3. Go swimming

Especially during the summer, the Belmont Hills Pool can be a hot spot for activity hours

4. Mow the lawn, rake leaves, or do other yard work
5. Go on a bike ride (or two or ten) with friends
6. Avoid driving places

If you want an easy way to build activity into your schedule, try building in a few extra minutes to transport yourself via bike or foot. It’s still productive for you AND gets your hours.

7. Go bird watching

Apparently there’s some fascinating local nature. Grab some boots and binoculars and have yourself a good time. 

8. Take a dance class at one of the local studios (it’s never too late to start!)
9. Take a pet for a walk
10. Go to Get Air and jump around for a little bit
11. Play Quidditch for Student Council when the time comes 
12. Get good at ping pong or pool 

Though not super strenuous, it’s still a sport, and therefore counts for CAS

13. Embrace your inner vintage and go rollerblading
14. Or ice skating
15. Go on a hike at one of the local rails to trails
16. Walk (for charity)

There’s an app called Charity Miles that allows you to track the distance that you walk and will donate a certain amount to a charity of your choice

17. Join HTC’s Stage Crew and move some sets around
18. Take a self defense class at a local dojo
19. Badminton!
20. Learn to ride a skateboard (it’s cool)
21. Wash some cars
22. Go to the gym and design your own workout
23. Join a team or intramural sport 
24. Go to the philly rock gym and do some rock climbing
25. Help out at a field day for younger kids or at the elementary school
26. Volunteer with Back On My Feet

Back On My Feet is a charity that combats homelessness through running. It creates a community to help get the local homeless with drug addiction, housing and job security. If you have extra time in the morning and like to be an early riser you can volunteer to be a coach and run with the amazing participants.

27. Teach someone to swim
28. Play with a younger sibling or friend at the playground
29. Sign up for Parks and Rec tennis classes
30. Or any other parks and rec course
31. Play a rather niche sport? Start a league! You might find others with the same interests.
32. Learn the circus arts at one of the local circus schools
33. Perform with a local dance troupe

Service

1. Participate in the Philly Youth Climate Strike
2. If you sing or play an instrument, try performing jazz or classical music for elderly homes
3. Donate Blood 
4. Donate Clothes or Books to a local Goodwill or Drive
5. Plan a drive for a charity you are connected to
6. Work the Breakfast table for your club or sport
7. Volunteer at a local animal shelter
8. Apply for a spot at the Conshohocken Community Garden 
9. Pack food boxes at Mainline Reform Temple
10. Deliver the boxes for MRT or JRA
11. Take some of your knits from the creativity section and donate them to the homeless
12. Set up bottle cap collection and make an art piece out of them
13. Collect cardboard to reuse for local craft projects
14. Pack boxes at the JRA
15. Paint a mural somewhere in the community
16. Clean up linwood park on saturdays
17. Volunteer on a political campaign (come time)
18. If you’re interested in science, volunteer to help with research at one of the local labs
19. Join Jared’s Box (the club at Harriton)
20. Or Project Home!
21. Sell your old clothes on depop and donate the money
22. If you’re bilingual, volunteer to teach ESL to immigrants in Philly 
23. Plant some trees, literally anywhere
24. Coach or referee kids sports game for a local team or group
25. Learning CPR in gym counts as service
26. Or you can take extra Red Cross class outside of school
27. Some have counted household chores or taking care at home as service
28. Read books to local elementary students for special event days at the library
29. Organize a writing competitions for area students and raise money for a cash prize

This could also be a full CAS project!

30. Tutor for NHS
31. Stage a protest or strike for an issue you are passionate about
32. Fundraise for the Narberth Ambulance so they can keep saving lives!
33. See what your friends are doing for CAS projects 

If they need help or volunteers to run an event, you can be the first to jump on

Many of these activities can count in multiple categories, so feel free to appropriate the hours as you see fit. I hope this helps get you through the waves and the dips of your crazy schedules.

Best of Luck,

Sammy Biglin