My name is Michèle and I'm a student from IB12. As a part of our IB program, we have to initiate and conduct a CAS project. For my CAS project I visited a kindergarten, where I regularly planned activities for the kids that all involved something educational. This was done as a part to prepare these children for their upcoming school life. The main topics that I had covered included shapes, colors, animals, seasons, and numbers. Those topics I took as a basis to plan out my activities. These all involved handicrafts because I strongly believe that combining some form of art with learning is the most efficient method for young children to gain knowledge and be excited about doing so.
Overall, I must say that this has been a great CAS project experience because I was allowed to be as creative as I wanted to be while planning and carrying out my ideas. I had a good time working with the children and teaching them, which was a lot of fun! What struck me the most was seeing the enthusiasm and excitement of those children each time I showed up with a new planned learning activity. They even told me how they were looking forward to entering school. It showed me how valuable the process of attaining knowledge is and that it can be something truly great, if one's mindset believes it is or wants it to be. Other than being simply enjoyable, this project was also a challenge in certain areas. Patience is key when it comes to working with children, which is something that is not always easy. Fortunately, all of the children at the kindergarten were well-behaved and focused. Leadership skills and time management in the preparation and implementation of my ideas was something that was definitely demanded throughout this CAS project, hence allowing me to grow in those areas.
It was a very positive experience and is something that I can recommend to anyone. Perhaps to gain an experience, grow in certain aspects, or even just help out by engaging children to learn. It is something you would not regret doing!
Michèle M., IB 12, 2017