written by Tami Limberg, Lower Adolescent Program Director
CAS (Creativity, Action, and Service) is a key part of what we do at Great River School and it comes straight from the Montessori Pedagogy that Montessori wrote over 100 years ago. The pedagogy that she wrote has been organized into what Montessorians refer to as the Montessori Syllabus. It is organized into three parts: one -self-expression, two - psychic development, and three - preparation for adult life. It’s part one where the CAS pedagogy comes from.
Laurie Ewer- Krocker in the North American Montessori Training for Adolescents wrote:
Part One: The opening up of ways of self-expression for the purpose of “the difficult development of the personality”
The adolescent needs to develop awareness of the qualities of being human and the discovery of what each person brings to society through their gifts of self-expression. Adolescents need to develop an inner self awareness and voice: to express what they think, what they see, what they understand, what they struggle with, what they love.
Self-expression needs an audience, other people to connect with and share appreciation of the human experience. Society as a whole is enriched by each person’s contribution and ability to freely express themselves. All of the expressions that Montessori lists (music, poetry, writing, dance, art) are languages that bridge us to and allow us to see the beauty and value in the OTHER).
Couple that pedagogy with the International Baccalaureate’s aim to cultivate joy and significance and explore new possibilities while setting goals and reflecting in a variety of activities around three areas: Creativity, Action, and Service - Where our Lower and Upper Adolescent programs get the name of CAS.
Over the years Lower Adolescent CAS offerings have been adult-led, community member-led, and student-led! They’ve included options like knitting, musical pit band, skating, broomball, fishing, sledding, soap making, and biking. This current round of CAS boasts offerings of Running, 7.8 Theater Intensive Script Review, Service Learning, Natural Fiber Cordage, Board Games, Connecting with Nature, Pickle Ball, Embroidery, Jigsaw Puzzle Competition, LA GRS Song Book, Paper Crafts, Piñatas and Alebrijes, Reels and Squares, and Water Shoreline Clean-up.