Creativity, Activity, Service: How Students at Graded Are Making an Impact

What does it mean to learn beyond the classroom?

Maybe it’s organizing donation drives for local institutions or raising awareness about an important social issue. It might even be designing a fitness plan to build lifelong health habits. 

Learning beyond the classroom is about acting with purpose and intention—something that many Graded high school students explore through the International Baccalaureate (IB) Program’s CAS component: Creativity, Activity, and Service.

Beginning in grade 11, students collaborate with IB Coordinator James O’Connor over 18 months to choose meaningful projects and activities across each CAS pillar. They commit to ongoing experiences in or beyond the school community, setting goals, taking action, and regularly reflecting on their progress as they grow through creativity, physical activity, and authentic community service. 

“The key to CAS is intentionality and authenticity,” said Mr. O’Connor. “If students pick things that they are interested in and think about ways they can measure their progress, CAS becomes a meaningful way to add balance to a busy schedule.” 

Explore the six projects below to see how our students have turned their passions into positive change while gaining skills, insights, and confidence that they’ll carry with them into college and beyond.