The Global Odyssey event is a combination of economics and business management, which is entirely organized by Grade 11 students. The event is made up of various teams, including decor, fashion, fun/games, and accounts, that work together to ensure its success. As the leader of the decor team, my role was to manage my team and work collaboratively with other leaders. Our first step was to understand the event’s theme and choose decor that complemented it. Next, we gathered resources, assigned responsibilities, and created all the necessary items for the event.

As the leader of the decor team, I was able to develop my creativity and critical thinking skills while working to make the event a success. Effective teamwork and communication were crucial to achieving our goals, and this experience allowed me to achieve all of the learning outcomes.

In addition to the creativity aspect, this experience also catered to the activity component of CAS. As a decor team leader, I had to run around to find resources, seek permissions from teachers, clarify details with the carpenter, and physically set up and clean up the event on the final day. It was physically demanding as we had to cover two venues, which involved climbing, hanging, sticking, and cleaning.

LO1- identify own strengths and develop areas for growth :
As a student of product design, I had prior experience working with these resources. However, this time it was a collaborative effort, and I had to be very cautious while communicating with my team members. In addition, I had to constantly seek feedback from both my peers and teachers to enhance our work.

LO2- Demonstrate that challenges have been undertaken, developing new skills in the process :
I was able to attain this learning outcome as being a decor leader was a new challenge for me. However, I eventually comprehended the responsibilities and acquired several new skills, including leadership, problem-solving, active listening, and critical thinking.

LO3 – Demonstrate how to initiate and plan a CAS experience:

The learning objective was centered around collaboration, which I found to be crucial. Drawing on our past experiences and knowledge, we were able to establish a mutual understanding and assign various roles while generating innovative ideas.

LO4 – Show commitment to and perseverance in CAS experiences :
The event is considered one of the most exciting occasions of the year, and we spent over a month preparing for it. During this period, everyone worked together, sharing their ideas, putting in their efforts, and using their creative minds to achieve our goal for the final day.

LO5- demonstrate the skills and recognize the benefits of working collaboratively :
Undoubtedly, this learning outcome was critical, as it emphasized the importance of effective communication, active listening, and conflict resolution skills in achieving successful collaboration. Working collaboratively provides an opportunity to learn from others and hear their perspectives. The ability to work well with others is dependent on one’s collaboration skills, which are essential when working as a team member or leader. Therefore, these skills are crucial for successful collaboration.

LO6- demonstrate engagement with issues of global significance :
While creating our decor elements, we utilized a significant amount of discarded brown paper to make hangings for the event. Additionally, we repurposed several resources from the school’s store that were deemed as waste. Fortunately, these resources fit well with our overall boho theme.

LO7 – recognize and consider the ethics of choices and actions :
As a leader, it was crucial for me to set aside personal relationships and assign responsibilities based on each person’s abilities to ensure that our work was not compromised.

In summary, this was a truly enlightening experience for me. All the early mornings, playtime sacrifices, and hard work on the event day finally paid off, making it all feel worthwhile.