The Core
The Cord of the IB Diploma is comprised of three essential components: C.A.S., Theory of Knowledge and the Extended Essay.
In order to be eligible to receive the diploma at the end of the senior year, candidates must complete all three of these components. They also must receive passing marks from IB on both the Theory of Knowledge essay and the Extended Essay. It is possible to earn additional points toward the diploma if the candidate's marks are high enough on either one or both of these assessments.
C.A.S.
Creativity, Activity and Service, is a central component and at the heart of the International Baccalaureate program. It requires 18 months of continued evidence of a creative pursuit and thinking, living an active lifestyle and service to the community. Many of our candidates earn more than 500 service hours, and some earn as many as 2500. These students are the world changers, and most believe C.A.S is at the heart of who they are as global citizens when they leave us.
You are encouraged to read the CAS Handbook to better understand the requirements.
Looking for inspiration for CAS projects? Check out this website.
Theory of Knowledge
"Theory of knowledge (TOK) plays a special role in the International Baccalaureate® (IB) Diploma Programme (DP), by providing an opportunity for students to reflect on the nature of knowledge, and on how we know what we claim to know.
It is one of the components of the DP core and is mandatory for all students. The TOK requirement is central to the educational philosophy of the DP."
The Extended Essay
The EE, as it is affectionately known, is an independent research project that teaches our candidates the skills of researching and writing a thesis driven, inquiry based paper. It is formatted much like the honors and master's theses papers they will experience in college. The topic is student selected, and this 4,000 word paper is researched and written outside of the IB classroom. It is required of all our IB Diploma candidates, and like the ToK paper, a passing score is mandatory to be eligible for the diploma.
Revised July 2021