On Thursday, April 25, Granada Hills Charter High School (GHC) hosted its sixth annual Creativity, Action, Service (CAS) Exposition. The showcase was held in Highlander Hall from 2:30 pm – 6:00 pm, and was comprised of International Baccalaureate (IB) seniors presenting their Cas Expo projects that have been carried out over the course of two years.
The CAS project is comprised of the achievements that the IB seniors have initiated in order to help the community around them to make a difference. This year, the cohort decided to take a more positive approach. One of the highlights of the expo, previously called The Tunnel of Oppression, was renamed The Road to the Future. This shift in perspective illustrates the primary objective of this cohort, which was to bring out a positive outcome of their hard work.
“This year we wanted to stress the fact that this project was our journey through all the things we learned, applying that to real life and the road to reaching that future,” senior Aleea Evangelista said.
As people entered through the doors, they were led to the tunnel- The Road to the Future, where they were each handed a couple cotton balls. The tunnel was dimly lit, showcasing artwork submitted by students, short clips, voice recordings and poetry. There were multiple twists and turns, and jars in front of every project where one could place in a cotton ball to say that they supported the given cause.
As one walked out of the tunnel, there were pictures of all the IB seniors, and then the end of the tunnel led to the expo itself.
The students, staff and parents then began to make their way through the mazes of the projects in this expo. The projects were divided into different sections such as mental health, racism, environment, education and many more. One of the major goals for the expo was for the projects to be interactive with the audience, which was achieved through the treasure hunt that guided one through the projects towards a prize at the end.
One of the projects was called the Celebration Association and who provided celebrations and birthday parties for underprivileged children and previously homeless seniors. It was meant to provide attention to children that don’t have as many opportunities as everyone else. To them, it was important to have an association that celebrated memories where they feel loved and honored.
When these students entered IB as juniors, they were exposed to different ‘isms’ like racism, sexism, and ageism. For that reason, their projects were geared towards tackling these areas of oppression in an impactful way.
“I was really impressed by the collective impact that our students have made in our community. Next year, I hope to open the expo for the entire school day, so we can get more students to tour the exhibits and leave inspired to make a difference,” CAS Expo coordinator Cynthia Quintana said.
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