Impact Report Art Labs in Action: Impact Evaluation Report 2024-25 This study, conducted by Populi, reviewed by University of Pennsylvania GSE, and supported by Upadhyay Foundation, evaluates the effectiveness of the Art Labs Program in developing SEL skills, creativity, and art engagement among students. Read about the impact of our Art Labs program in this first third-party evaluation report! Read the report here! Art Labs in Action: Impact Evaluation Report 2024-25 Study Overview This study is an evaluation of the Art Labs Program run at Shankarwadi Mumbai Public School. This report aims to: Evaluate the Program’s effectiveness towards fostering SEL skill development and creativity Provide evidence-based recommendations for educational stakeholders on integrating arts into schools for under-served communities. The study used a mixed-methods approach utilizing quantitative data from observations and qualitative data from interviews and discussions. Secondary research and Program documents supplemented the analysis by providing necessary context. The Program outcomes from SArC’s theory of change and curriculum objectives informed the development of research instruments and evaluation framework. Key Findings The evaluation insights affirm the program’s effectiveness in developing key SEL skills among students, while also identifying opportunities to strengthen curriculum design, facilitation, and measurement for greater impact at scale. Higher-grade students who have spent 2-3 years with Art Labs demonstrate higher proficiency in SEL skills Early Grades show promising development in SEL Skills, with majority in 'Developing' category Middle Grades show gains in SEL Proficiency, especially in Confidence, Critical Thinking, and Communication Upper Grades excel in SEL Skills, reaching high proficiency in Critical Thinking and Communicatio n Qualitative insights, using classroom observations, field notes and interviews, suggest high levels of student engagement. Overall, the data suggests that student’s SEL competencies strengthen with age and continued engagement in the program. Fig: Areas of Evaluation Grade 5 students sharing about their artwork to the class Download your copy here

Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is success! In the education ecosystem, as we all work towards ensuring our children receive the best and enjoy their journey in learning, at Saturday Art Class, the impact we have been able to create until today has been possible through meaningful partnerships we have created with many other non-profits, enterprises and schools across India over the years. Together, we have created impact and we are always to ready to do more! Our Partners

Expressions from the he(Art) Narratives from our classrooms First Name Last Name Email Company (optional) Phone (optional) Submit

Research Output Emerging Shifts in Classrooms through Creative Facilitation This report identifies how teachers develop confidence as facilitators of visual arts and SEL, how these shifts shaped student learning experiences, and what success stories and challenges emerged in the process. Explore stories of Educators as they place creativity, joy, visual arts and Social-Emotional Learning at the heart of teaching! Read the report here! Emerging Shifts in Classrooms through Creative Facilitation Study Overview This study was designed to investigate the impact of the Art-For-Educator program on educators’ mindsets, facilitation skills, and classroom practices. It explores how teachers developed confidence as facilitators of visual arts and SEL, how these shifts shaped student learning experiences, and what success stories and challenges emerged in the process. The research also examined the role of art in supporting educator well-being, reflection, and professional identity as visual arts educators. This evaluation draws on a mixed-methods approach, including surveys with 202 educators and 1,867 students across 23 partner organizations and classroom observations, in-depth educator interviews, and focus group discussions across 4 partner organizations in Mumbai and Pune. Insights from focus group discussions laid the foundation for outcome mapping, enabling us to make educator mindset shifts visible and trace their impact within classrooms. Classroom insights on creative practices Focus Group Discussion with Educators Key Findings Five common themes emerged from the Focus Group Discussions, and central to all findings is a Shift in Educator Mindset , evolving from traditional, restrictive approaches to a more open, student-centred outlook rooted in creative freedom and self-expression. Being the key to unlocking educators’ creative practices, we find that the AFE program shared a new approach to practising & facilitating art that enabled these educators to expand their impact for their students. Shift in Educator Mindset: Educators moved away from rigid ideas of “perfect art” and embraced student voice and creativity. Evolving Teaching Strategies: After SArC training, educators adopted open-ended prompts and student-led facilitation, making classes more engaging. Art as a medium for Professional Growth & Well-being: Teaching art became a reflective and healing process, contributing to educators’ emotional well-being and job satisfaction. Strengthening Student-Teacher Relationships: Art created an emotional connection and mutual respect in classrooms among the students and teachers. Impact of Student Confidence, Expressions & Engagement: Students showed greater emotional expression, teamwork, and joy in learning through art. The AFE program shows that when teachers are empowered to embrace creativity and emotional learning, both their mindsets and classrooms transform. By shifting from rigid teaching methods to reflective, student-centered facilitation, educators create safer, more expressive learning environments. Findings Overview: Focus Group Discussions Download your copy here

Emerging Shifts in Classrooms through Creative Facilitation Insights from Saturday Art Class’ Visual Arts and SEL training program First Name Last Name Email Company (optional) Phone (optional) Submit

Research output Evidence of the Impact of Visual Arts & SEL Education within the Indian context What happens to a child when they engage in arts? Visual art is a powerful tool to enhance children’s social-emotional skills and yet there's limited research on its impact in emerging democratic societies like India, home to one of the world's largest marginalized child populations. Read about the impact as we answer the question with first-hand research and bring forth the evidence! Read our research output here! Evidence of the Impact of Visual Arts & SEL Education within the Indian Context Our Approach Through first-hand understanding, we have observed the development of skills and competency outcomes through Visual Arts & SEL. This enabled us to dive deeper into understanding the manifestation of behavioral outcomes in students. We have intended to measure SEL within the art classroom contexts where these skills are facilitated, practiced, and lived. Key Findings Over the year, the research affirmed our belief: sustained engagement in Visual Arts & SEL nurtures skills like imagination, critical thinking, collaboration, communication, and perseverance- preparing students not just for school, but for life. The key findings of the study are summarised below: Through visual arts & SEL, students didn’t just learn to draw, they learned to think critically, express their emotions, and work collaboratively with their peers. Classrooms became safe, joyful spaces where students were free to explore, experiment, and engage with each other, sparking their curiosity and creativity. Joy as an experience played a crucial role in nurturing collaboration, student participation and interest in the classroom. When students felt happy, they were eager to share ideas, ask questions, and work together, creating a co-learning environment. Respect, compassion, and confidence grew naturally. Students learned to value their own work and that of their peers, offering help and encouragement without being asked. With facilitators guiding rather than instructing, students felt empowered to express themselves, turning the classroom into a space of discovery rather than judgment. Highlighting On-ground research Capturing stories "Pop art makes my Happy look like it is breaking a wall and coming out - thats how much happy I feel when I am drawing in art class!" - Yusuf, Grade 3 "I want to turn the city into a village and the village into a city, and hence added metro and car in a village and then farmer, cows and fields in a city" she said as she discussed which border she wanted to cross. - Tairin, Grade 7 Download your copy here

Pioneering in-depth study into inferring student outcomes, best practices and insights from classrooms achieved through engagement in visual arts in our current context. We aim to identify best practices and gather insights and narratives from our classrooms that can inform how visual arts & SEL can be a crucial medium to build lifelong learning skills and agency to thrive in children. To study this in-depth, we intervened with students from a local government school by providing them regular access to Visual arts and SEL from Grades 1-8 Know more about Our Research Approach with Art Labs Research Reports Opportunities for exposure through excursions Book a Smile India invited us for a unique art workshop led by renowned Italian artist Lorenzo Vitturi as a part of the Olympics In Reel Life Festival by the Film Heritage Foundation. Through Art labs we took 5 children for this workshop where they gathered materials from the ground - waste, leaves, feathers, and more - to create unique collages. Lorenzo captured and guided the children to click portraits, merging everything together to create artwork from their imagination. The result? Extraordinary masterpieces! We partnered with to Coexist by Alia Bhatt. A platform created that highlights and works towards the issues of animal and ecological welfare. Our children worked their magic as these mini-planeteers shared their love for animals and nature through art! They made posters that they would put up in their communities during Diwali to prevent burning firecrackers.

A collaborative effort between Access the videos here FEATURES OF CREATIVE ART EXPRESS

Our 2023-24 Annual Report is now live! We invite you to read our 'Annual Report 2023-24' It's been a y ear of Joy, Growth & Creativity! Read the full report here! Annual Reports 2022-23 Download 2021-22 Download 2020-21 Download 2019-20 Download 2018-19 Download Download 2023-24 Annual Report Here!

Introducing our unique visual arts curriculum that takes every child on a journey to various artists and art forms across the world! The Saturday Art Class curriculum is designed as a combination of visual art-based milestones and various topics that helps children build exposure to the outside world as well as develop the following outcomes: Communication Critical Thinking Collaboration Joy Imagination Perseverance Our curriculum topics ensure that children can understand themselves and are exposed to the world around them; along with inculcating skills of imagination and self-expression ! The curriculum encompasses grade-appropriate art milestones and art objectives that children can achieve through the art class plans. The curriculum is designed from Preschool 1 to Grade 8 (age group 2 to 14 years) Indian Art Children explore art from various parts of India and explore the work of Indian artists. Our art class plans under this theme focus on contemporary and former Indian artists and art forms. Through the development of a strong sense and knowledge of Indian art, this theme of our curriculum aids in building a positive perspective of cultural identity and self-esteem within children. Global Art Children are exposed to a wider range of artists who use different forms and techniques. This topic will focus on art and artists from across the world both from the present and the past. It is through the development of a strong sense and knowledge of global arts that children can build a holistic perspective about themselves and the world. Craft Students explore the use of various materials to create things like collages, origami, and other craft-related activities. The art class plans under this theme will focus on craft-related activities that refine the children's motor skills and put an emphasis on children using their imagination and creating activities related to craft work. Self-expression and imagination-based activities Students are provided with prompts in the form of inquiry-based questions . These questions are designed in a way that compels them to use their imagination and express themselves in their own unique manner. Students are able to think about different situations and will express what they imagine bringing them to life through self-expression. Through the development of their imagination and self-expression, we build creativity in children.

Our digital resources are available to access across the globe! In My Mind A digital book for children In My Mind by Saturday Art Class is a resource that delivers visual art and social-emotional learning (SEL) for students, educators, paraeducators, and parents. We created this resource with the goal to combat technological and learning impediments faced by students during COVID-19 pandemic by transforming our COVID-19 Recovery curriculum and compiling it into a tangible workbook, printed and distributed to all our students complemented with an Art Kit that enabled experiential learning. 12 Chapters Each chapter is focused on a topic, supplemented by 7 days of acitivties. What does In My Mind have for you? Guide Book A helpful guide on how to use the workbook for educators and teachers. Assessment Form Helps record user reflections, artworks and feedback. In My Mind provides social-emotional learning (SEL), art, and creatively stimulating exercises to help provide SEL-based resources for students to educators, teachers, and parents during the “school from home” time. We extend our gratitude to Ms. Samiksha Bindal and Ms. Palak Gupta for beautifully compiling and designing this book! Contents of In My Mind ! Session 1: What is my mind made of? Feelings Session 2: What is my mind made of? Thoughts Session 3: What is my mind made of? Actions Session 4: How do I take care of myself when I am angry? Session 5: How do I take care of myself when I am sad? Session 6: How do I take care of myself when I am scared? Session 7: How do I take care of myself when I am worried? Session 8: How do I take care of myself when I am shy? Session 9: How do I take care of myself when I am bored? Session 10: How do I take care of myself when I am confused? Session 11: How do I create safe spaces for myself? Session 12: What habits do I want to start and stop to feel better? Download Now Everyone's An Artist Our digitized curriculum In My Mind was also converted into an instructional video series called Everyone’s An Artist ! Everyone’s an Artist is a digital open-resource narrated by our Co-founder Manasi Mehan, that brings to light the importance of well-being & creativity in education, a tool we want as many children, teachers, and parents to benefit from. Presented in the form of 12 interactive session videos, Everyone's An Artist follows a creative process for children to express their thoughts, feelings, and emotions through Art. Watch Now!

Workshops that offer a safe and supportive environment for individuals of all ages to express themselves creatively through visual art and social-emotional learning-based activities. If you would like us to host an Art - a -Day Reach out to us here! Art-a-Day is our short-term engagement program offering art workshops that aim to give participants of all age groups an immersive and joyful experience while creating awareness of the need for Visual Arts and Socio-emotional Learning (SEL). We have organised art engagements in diverse spaces, including museums, art festivals, and various organisations. To date, we have organised workshops for 37 partners, engaging 3000+ participants in unique art experiences. Our workshops, inspired by artists and art forms, made art accessible for both adults and children. At the launch of Museum of Solution in December 2023, we organized a paper sculpture workshop where children reflected on space design and what it makes them feel. Exploring that spaces can be designed beyond mere boxes, they re-imagined and crafted sculptures of their favourite places using paper sculpting techniques. Their designs were reflective of their own interpretations of a playground, bedroom, or the city they call home. We facilitated a portrait workshop for young children attending the festival. They reflected on their personalities and how objects or symbols can be used to creatively represent them. Participants created fun whimsical self-portraits to express who they are as individuals. We organised workshops for SVP India’s Mumbai and Pune chapter where artist Henri Matisse and his iconic ‘Drawing with Scissors’ style was explored. In the immersive workshop, participants crafted paper collages about significant moments of their lives. We also sensitized them about the need of creativity, social emotional learning and arts in main stream education. For Pride Month, we facilitated a youth workshop that explored gender norms and representations through the medium of movie posters and how they shape our understanding of identity and sexuality. The youth re-created movie posters by creating a collage with imagery from old magazines and represented stories that were more gender equal, inclusive and stories from reality.