Every IB candidate is expected to carry out a CAS project in order to fulfill the requirements for the IB diploma. A CAS project is a cooperative, well-considered arrangement of successive CAS encounters, engaging in at least one of the CAS strands of creativity, activity, and service. CAS projects can vary from being bake sales as service projects to starting a new afterschool activity.
Personally, I wanted my CAS project to focus on my passion: computer science. I find that although my school is one of the most technologically advanced institutions in the country, it still continues to lack the promotion of software development and other aspects in computer science. There are many ways to encourage students to pursue studies in the field of CS and tech, however, in most cases (especially in secondary) it is a little too late. Secondary school ranges from grades 6 to 12, where the final two years (11th and 12th grade) are the Diploma Programme. At this point, students would have already selected classes and made a decision for which field of study they want to pursue. Although grades 6 to 10 have more flexibility in their subject choices, there is a lack of technological awareness within the school which discourages them to pursue it.
In grade 10, I proposed to the school that we start an IB Computer Science class at OSC. At first, the idea was only a dream and was not feasible at all, but after starting a petition with the peers of my grade, I was able to persuade the DP coordinator and the school board that it was worthwhile. Although IB Computer Science is now an option at my school, it still lacks several participants due to the unfamiliarity and unawareness of the subject. This is why I decided to make my CAS project a way to make students more aware of the capabilities and powers of Computer Science (especially in the digital age).
Hour of Code is a global movement to promote and encourage programming for all, where all students are expected to program for an hour. I first learned about it from my Computer Science teacher, as it was an event hosted in his old school. I found it an interesting and unique way to influence people into the realms of programming, and a good introduction to computer science. I was also searching for an appropriate solution to my problem for which grades should be involved in the project. When reflecting on this, I noticed how children can begin programming from a very young age because it uses the same conventions of learning a language. Hence, I decided that the best area of the school to run this project on was primary school.
I initiated Hour of Code for the first time in our school, with the help of the technology directors and the primary school principles to organize the logistics of the event and planned each of the activities. We decided that it would be best if we grouped together various grades together, in order to gain a more diverse and dynamic experience with someone new. We grouped the kindergarteners and 5th graders, the 1st and 4th graders, and the 2nd and 3rd graders. Where each group had a different activity, as shown in the table below:
| Grade Level | Links |
| KG & Grade 5 | Animate a Name: |
| Grade 1 & Grade 4 | Restaurant Decorator:
https://hourofcode.com/carestaurant Code Your Own Hero: |
| Grade 2 & Grade 3 | Create your own Google logo:
https://hourofcode.com/googlelogo An Unusual Discovery: |
OSC’s first Hour of Code is planned to be held on the 3rd of December 2019, and I am really looking forward to it!