The International Baccalaureate program offers students a vigorous and rewarding curriculum that challenges the mind and pushes students their limits. However, the challenge does not lie only in academics, but in service to the community as well.

In order to graduate with an IB diploma, a student must complete at least 150 Creativity, Service, and Action hours. While these hours are earned through hard work and service to those around you, they are different from normal community service hours.

In order to count as CAS hours, the hours must meet the requirements that are apparent from its name. The project must show creativity. In order to qualify as creative, the student undertaking the project must identify a problem within the community. Once the problem has been isolated, the student must develop a plan in order to help solve the problem.

The action aspect comes into play when the student goes out and executes the plan they came up. IB feels that an IB student needs to be well rounded, and actually having to do something gets students out from behind a desk.

"You've got to move around, you have to do something," said Coral Reef IB Coordinator Michelle Patterson.

Finally, service means that the project must do the community and those around you good. It must benefit those who are in need of assistance. According to

Many students face the problem of determining what area they wish to devote their services to. When asked for suggestions for projects, Mrs. Patterson and Coral Reef High School CAS coordinator Lourdes Haun said that it is important for each student to come up with their own project. According to them, it is essential that student find their own niche within the community and work at what they feel most comfortable doing. For this reason it is suggested that students in ninth and tenth grades complete the 75 hours of community service required by Miami-Dade County Public Schools. That way, they can find what work they are best suited for.

However, students do not necessarily have to take the full burden on of organizing a project by themselves. They could instead get involved in a large scale project that is already going on. One such is project is what has been dubbed "IB against Landmines." Currently headed up by sophomores Samuel Kohrman and Adam Rosen, the project works towards educating the public about the landmine problem around the globe and raising money to clear minefields throughout the world.

Also suggested by Mrs. Haun and Mrs. Patterson is joining Fill the Void, which is coordinated by IB secretary Mrs. Barrero. Fill the Void offers students a variety of community service activities.

If a student were interested in starting their own large scale project, the first step would be to write up a plan. After running it by Mrs. Patterson or Mrs. Haun and finding an adult sponsor, the student would then go about organizing other students to work on it.

"IB wants students to go beyond doing community service. It wants them to be feel empowered to change the world," said Mrs. Patterson.

While many students downplay the importance of CAS hours, Mrs. Patterson feels differently.

"When you look at the IB hexagon, CAS is in the center. CAS is the heart of the IB Program," said Mrs. Patterson.

For more information, visit the IB office or go to the official Coral Reef CAS website, http://www.angelfire.com/fl5/ibcas/.

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