The CAS project presents an opportunity to participate in valuable endeavors that promote personal advancement and development. In my CAS project, I opted to pursue an initiative connected to my service group, where I hold a leadership role in Justice and Equality. Through this project, my aim was to raise awareness about gender inequality and sexual abuse. The primary goal of our group revolves around empowering survivors, aiding them in reclaiming their confidence, strength, and mindset, while also promoting awareness. At first, I considered the idea of arranging a fundraising event, with the combined support of my service supervisor and fellow group members. However, I changed my mind because I wanted to do something new, especially something that not many people would do. 

After careful consideration during brainstorming, I arrived at the decision to focus on creating designs for t-shirts that would raise awareness about important issues such as gender inequality and sexual abuse.  believed this approach would be highly effective, as these wearable t-shirts would not only inform those who purchase them but also serve as a constant reminder to anyone who encounters individuals wearing them.

The planning process commenced with the group collectively brainstorming design concepts that would strongly connect with our intention. We conducted research on various printing techniques, and materials, and identified potential printing shops to facilitate our project. As the group leader, my role was pivotal in providing guidance throughout the planning phase, coordinating logistics, and maintaining effective communication among team members. It was evident that accomplishing this project solely as an individual member would not be feasible.

Implementation:

With a well-defined plan established, we initiated the implementation phase of our project. Using Canva, we collectively engaged in the process of designing our t-shirts. This not only provided us with an opportunity to express our creativity within the realm of service but also served as a restorative and enjoyable activity for each group member. We crafted designs incorporating powerful messages, captivating symbols, images, and quotes. As the leader, I felt a sense of pride and excitement throughout this journey of creating t-shirt designs, knowing that our group comprised talented and imaginative designers, as evidenced by our recent creation of the official logo a few months prior.

After completing the design process and accumulating a substantial number of designs, I requested input from the members of our service group, including our supervisor, to choose three designs they believed were most suitable for public sale. This decision proved challenging due to the unique and thought-provoking messages, as well as the exceptional creativity demonstrated by all the creators. As participants shared their top three choices, I carefully narrowed down the selection to the best options available.

During the subsequent service session, I requested another round of voting to further refine the selection, aiming for a final set of three designs. It was essential to acknowledge and appreciate each design, even if it didn’t make it to the final printed versions. Eventually, we arrived at our top three choices, and I assigned the original creators the task of making necessary edits to enhance professionalism. The group collectively decided on the edits, considering elements such as incorporating the “Justice and Equality” logo and the possibility of including a backside design. It was truly gratifying to witness the members offering their support and assistance to the original creators, which ultimately led to the development of exceptional designs.

After finalizing the designs, we proceeded to download the best versions as pdf files and send them to a local printing company. To ensure a professional outcome, I requested my supervisor to print drafts of each of the three designs. This allowed us to carefully analyze them and address any errors or issues in our physical work, thus avoiding regrettable expenses. Additionally, we made the decision to print each design in sizes ranging from small to large, enabling us to gauge the differences between each size. In terms of funding the printing expenses, the group collectively agreed to utilize the money we had raised from the bake sale we organized during women’s week.

The process proved to be more challenging than initially anticipated. We encountered several obstacles along the way, such as the temporary closure of the printing company we had planned to order from, which forced us to patiently await their reopening. Once they resumed operations, we sent the designs for our drafts in the three different sizes.

Once the t-shirts arrived, I decided to have the group members try them on and share their feedback. By thoughtfully taking into consideration the feedback provided, I compiled the final counts of how many t-shirts we needed to order, calculated the required funding amount, and estimated a suitable selling price. This overall project not only fulfilled the responsibility of raising awareness in the community about sexual abuse and gender inequality but the funds collected from this initiative were also intended to support a local organization dedicated to caring for and assisting survivors of sexual abuse.

Following that, our next crucial step involved finalizing our order and officially placing it. Simultaneously, with the assistance of my supervisor, co-leader, and other group members, we commenced organizing events for the distribution of the t-shirts. These events included school assemblies, weekly service sessions, and community gatherings. Make sure to keep an eye out for these upcoming events so you can purchase a t-shirt of your own.

Reflecting and Evaluating:

Throughout the project, we made deliberate efforts to reflect on our experiences and assess the impact of this project. We took into account the challenges we encountered, such as coordinating logistics and managing expenses, as well as the successes we achieved, such as successfully finalizing the project with printed t-shirts featuring our original designs as well as being able to distribute these t-shirts and engage with the community on important social issues. 

As the group leader, I played an important role in coordinating these efforts, ensuring that the group stayed on schedule, and that everyone was working together effectively. I also helped to promote this whole idea through social media channels, engaging with the community and raising awareness about the issues that the group was working to address. Moreover, I believe that by following a rigorous planning and implementation process we as a collaborative group were able to make a meaningful contribution to their community and promote positive social change.

I am incredibly grateful and filled with joy for the tremendous support I received from all the members of my service group. It was truly a privilege to work in such an environment, surrounded by supportive individuals who uplifted and encouraged one another throughout the project.

 

Learning Outcomes: 

LO2: Demonstrate that challenges have been undertaken, developing new skills in the process.
LO3: Demonstrate how to initiate and plan a CAS experience.
LO4: Show commitment to and perseverance in CAS experiences.
LO5: Demonstrate the skills and recognize the benefits of working collaboratively.
LO6: Demonstrate engagement with issues of global significance.