CAPS: Group Reflection
The 5 CAS Stages
Investigation
We researched the value of art therapy, and decided that one of the most underdeveloped parts of our school experience was using creative outlets as a means to handle an overwhelming amount of stress. We had only really encountered art as an academic subject, and being able to use it for a constructive way to deal with stress was something we thought could be very useful for our school’s high stress environment.
Preparation
Throughout the duration of senior year, we had meetings amongst ourselves as well as with our supervisor Ms. Chaputian to discuss ways we could reach the goals of our project. We had to assess our expertise in discussing the issues surrounding the stigma of mental health since we are not professional therapists. Furthermore, as we wanted to provided creative outlets through our workshops and zines, we had evaluate and plan the finances of our ideas.
Action
We held a mug decorating workshop after school to give BSGE students a space to creatively destress while also talking about their emotions with other people who experience (have experienced) the same sentiments.
We also created a zine that is focused on mental health, offering tips for creative outlets for our stress, showcasing art submissions from the BSGE community, and including destress activities.
Reflection
For our reflection, we evaluated the level of success we had with achieving our CAS project’s goals. We each reflected on the whole projects and posted on our website. Additionally, we asked people who attended our workshop to write to our zine about how the event helped them release stress and learn about how the introduction of creative outlets could be beneficial to our school community.
Demonstration
We created a website open for submissions to our school community, as well as an Instagram page to reach more people as it is a more popular media base. Other ways in which we demonstrate our project are through our self-published ‘zine, as well as pamphlets and posters. During our presentation, we will showcase these things in addition to the mugs we create in our workshop.
7 Learning Outcomes
Identifying strengths and develop areas of growth
Our strength as a CAS group was our personal connection to the importance of mental health and the value of therapy. Through our drive to share the benefits of mental health services with our peers, any task or goal we made was accomplished.
As we planned and executed our project, several areas of growth became evident. Our mission and goals grew as time went on, therefore it became imperative to assign roles and hold each other accountable for our work. An area in which we improved greatly was communication. We each made an effort to hold meetings, in person and online, even when there was no urgent work that needed to be addressed.
Demonstrate challenges that have been undertaken, developing new skills in the process
When a new member joined our CAS group, existing members were forced to rearrange and redistribute roles to accommodate another person. We learned the value of delegating tasks ahead of time and routinely checking in to monitor each other’s progress, especially that of the newer member.
Demonstrate how to initiate and plan a CAS project
Initially, we had to evaluate our main concerns as individual people, and then find a common intersection where the interests of all group members would be represented in the final result of our CAS project. After deciding that mental health and art were two things that were worthy of devoting extended time to, we had to channel this into a tangible project.
Understanding the limitations of our abilities was important, and creating a schedule ahead of time gave us some ease during the process when things became difficult.
Show commitment to and perseverance in CAS experience
Our commitment to Creative Arts Peer Support is evident in the numerous ways we reach out to our community in order to inform peers of the benefits of mental health services. Not only have we done outreach on both social media websites and the school newspaper, BaccRag, but we have conveniently provided all our information, goals, and events on a website. Many art submissions to the ‘zine, for instance, were from students whom we reached out to in order to lend a hand.
Especially when the thick of our project landed in the weeks when we had a majority of our IB internal assessments due as well as our art show, we had late night FaceTime sessions to work on our zine and workshop alongside our schoolwork.
Demonstrate the skills and recognize the benefits of working collaboratively
Each member took up responsibility for an aspect of CAPS, and as we worked collaboratively, we learned to appreciate the idea of collaboration and learned how to be held accountable for our actions. Each choice we made affected the group members, and so we learned important skills of responsibility as a byproduct.
Demonstrate engagement with issues of global significance
In addressing the problem of mental health, we had to engage with a conflict that plagues the modern world. This shows a commitment to addressing the problems of many oppressed members of societies, and making the right moral decisions regardless of social stigma. For instance, we realized we were not as informed on the issues regarding mental health on a global scale. Additional research was carried out to determine the best way our school community could benefit from the services we provided.
Recognize and consider the ethics of choices and actions
Like we mentioned before, we learned how our own choices affected the other members of our group, so being disciplined in our work was crucial.
