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Saturday Art Class

We add he(art) in education so that children are inspired to create with confidence!

Saturday Art Class is a non-profit educational organization focused on providing visual arts & social-emotional learning (SEL) to students from low-income communities in India during their formative years of education to give them a safe space to express & build essential skills to thrive.

HundrED 2022
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Overview

HundrED has selected this innovation to

HundrED 2022

Holistic Education in South & South-East Asia

Web presence

2017

Established

1.3M

Children

6

Countries
Target group
Other
Updated
May 2024
We envision a world where every child; irrespective of their socio-economic background, is inspired to create with confidence. An India where children have a safe space for well-being where they can be their unique selves. Our vision includes transforming existing perceptions of visual art in education so that our children have sustained access to visual art in their journey of learning & growing.

About the innovation

Why did you create this innovation?

250 million+ children attending public & low-income private schools in India lack safe spaces for creative expression & holistic development. The absence of art teachers & outdated pedagogy hinders their ability to express & create with confidence, impacting their overall well-being & joy of learning. Unless urgently addressed, the education system will leave millions ill-equipped for the future.

What does your innovation look like in practice?

Our multifaceted approach addresses the gap in India's education system & enhances children's learning environments. We partner with the government, nonprofits & schools, training their educators to conduct visual arts & SEL classes. Our proprietary curriculum fosters skills like communication & critical thinking while instilling an appreciation for visual arts. Leveraging our WhatsApp chatbot, we provide real-time support to educators & measure our impact on student behaviors.
Our impact is evident in the increased ability of educators to facilitate visual art & SEL classes & the improved creativity & expression of students. In the academic year 2023-24, 90% of children showed positive growth in creativity, collaboration & communication outcomes. 92% of educators reported that our training aided them in building better relationships with their students. We create sustained impact by building educator capacities & equipping children with essential skills for well-being & thriving.

How has it been spreading?

We've expanded our reach, establishing partnerships with state & city governments to scale across two states in India. Our impact extends globally, reaching 1.2 million children worldwide. Initiatives like our research on art education's impact & an advocacy e-magazine deepen our systemic engagement. Recognized by the Harvard Innovation Lab, we won the Social Impact Fellowship - Fall 2023 & the President Innovation Challenge - May 2024. We aim to impact 5 million children by 2027 through government partnerships & reach remote areas through grassroots nonprofits. Our WhatsApp chatbot enhances support to educators, while R&D drives innovation like early childhood art-education program, aligning with our mission for holistic development for every child in India.

If I want to try it, what should I do?

Connect with us, educators & senior leaders in education institutions, to partner for our teacher-training program. Collaborate with us for workshops focusing on fostering well-being through visual arts & enhancing collaboration amongst your team. Contribute to our e-magazine, Art Speaks, & join us in fostering creativity & expression. Contact us at info@saturdayartclass.com to get involved!

Impact & scalability

Impact & Scalability

The role of art and aesthetics in the learning is very important and this innovation allows the learners to engage with real world issues through art. The process of implementation is also easy to replicate in other contexts.

HundrED Academy Reviews

The idea has already been widely received. It can be scaled to even more regions across south and south-east Asia. Many schools will welcome this initiative with an open mindset as this can add a lot of value and contribute to holistic development.

This innovation could allow for the students to develop greater socio- emotional health in their learning environment. Making the learner more secure and confident which in turn boosts academic learning and physical development as well.

- Academy member
Academy review results
Impact
Scalability
Exceptional
High
Moderate
Limited
Insufficient
Exceptional
High
Moderate
Limited
Insufficient
Read more about our selection process

Media

At Harvard, we were runner-up at the President's Innovation Challenge, in May 2024. Out of over 330 applications across 13 Harvard Schools, we won in the Social Impact Category.
We were incubated at the Harvard Innovation Lab and won the Social Impact Fellowship Fund in Fall of 2023. We were one of six ventures chosen from all 13 Harvard Schools to receive the recognition & grant.
We established our first government partnership by expanding our engagement with the Mumbai Municipality Corporation Department. In the year ahead, we are piloting visual arts & SEL classes across the city.
We have onboarded 3,300+ educators on Art Connect, our interactive chatbot tool that enhances engagement with educators nationwide, efficiently disseminating resources & collecting real-time data from the ground.
Art Speaks | Saturday Art Class
SArC hosts its End of Year Exhibition 4.0 - but only, grander than ever! Celebrating the journeys of 165,000+ children impacting across India, the exhibition offered an art-filled day with installations, workshops, & art stations where children, educators, parents & people alike celebrated art.
SArC is now in 13 states of India, focusing on areas of the utmost need for our programs. This expansion has been made possible through forging over 90 partnerships spanning all regions.
We have established a research center at our model school, deepening insights into outcomes among students due to visual arts and SEL, demonstrating impact for the mainstream education system.
Partnering with Pratham Education, SArC conducted training sessions for 70+ trainers from Pratham's Madhya Pradesh Government Partnership & Resource Team. This team will train 5,000+ DIET (District Institute of Education & Training) students, impacting 1,25,000+ children in the academic year 2023-24.
Impact report 2022-23 Our Art for Educator program impacted 9,500+ students & 240+ educators. Study showed 8.3% growth in behavior, 8% in critical thinking, 9% in imagination, 13% in perseverance, 11% in communication, and 9% in collaboration. 94% students reported joy, 94.6% of educators found our training helpful. Read the entire report here- bit.ly/414rmI1
Our co-founder, Manasi Mehan, is among the 16 fellows from 11 countries participating in GATHER's (led by Seeds of Peace) Artivism Fellowship. Manasi will advocate for visual arts & social-emotional learning in education to create lasting change through art. Proud & grateful for the support received! Read more here- https://www.seedsofpeace.org/2022-artivism-fellows/ https://www.instagram.com/p/Cm
Saturday Art Class x Shrujan
A day in an ArtShaala ArtShaala is an initiative in partnerships with Pratham Education Foundation to encourage creative learning amongst learners and build social-emotional skills through visual arts and project-based learning. Here is a glimpse of how youth volunteers are running ArtShaala with the younger children in their communities- https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cn12vn5vBGx/?utm_source=ig_
We collaborated with Learning Links Foundation to conduct our first Art-a-day workshop of the year for 150 educators and resource persons. Our workshop provided an opportunity to reunite with art, experience creative learning methods, and share our work with Saturday Art Class children. Watch this video to experience our workshop: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CnHTnbXhHHN/?utm_source=ig_web_copy
Artshaala: Saturday Art Class x Pratham Education Foundation
Our students visited the Van Gogh Immersive experience in Mumbai
SArC x St+art India Foundation We collaborated with St+art India Foundation for the Mumbai Urban Art Festival & conducted a workshop for Koli community children. The workshop engaged children to showcase the uniqueness of their communities through a box by using art & craft that showcased their creativity, imagination & pride. https://www.instagram.com/p/Co93dNpIb-8/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share
Our co-founders had the opportunity to share their thoughts about visual arts and social-emotional learning in education through an interview for Cosmopolitan India. This provided us the platform to share about the work we do, and shed light on how introducing creative spaces is the need of the hour for our children. Click here to read the article- https://www.cosmopolitan.in/life/features/a28020
Students demonstrating leadership and collaboration during Saturday Art Class
India's Soaring Kites | #RepublicDay Special #DIY Workshop for Children | #PraDigiCreativityClub
Saturday Art Class x Reality Gives
Saturday Art Class x Project Fuel Training
Pratham Foundation Article : Creating spaces of self-expression through Social-Emotional Learning
UNESCO Article : Teaching children to express, not repress in midst of a global pandemic
UNESCO Article : Every child is a creative genius if we let them be one.
Saturday Art Class x Forbes Marshall CSR Initiatives
Saturday Art Class x Pratham Education Foundation
The Force For Good Program by J.P. Morgan Chase & Co.
Saturday Art Class x SEL Lab Training
Saturday Art Class gets incubated by Nudge
Compassion In Action - Our Community Project
Saturday Art Class begins classes for Grade 6 Teach For India students!
HundrED article: A study by Saturday Art Class on programs delivering SEL & arts-based curricula.
Introducing Safe Sharing Spaces in partnership with Teach For India
June 2021 Update on Saturday Art Class Covid 19 Relief and Recovery Program
Artworks created by Little Big Artists during COVID-19
Introducing our Digital Book: IN MY MIND!
Saturday Art Class Teaches Kids Social-Emotional Learning Through Art
Everyone's an Artist: Our first ever Digital Curriculum!
Updates on Saturday Art Class Covid 19 Relief and Recovery Program
Saturday Art Class RELIEF & RECOVERY fundraiser
Saturday Art Class Champion Project
Saturday Art Class Relief Efforts during Covid 19 Pandemic
Serendipity Circle with Saturday Art Class Coaches
Saturday Art Class Recovery Plan during Covid 19 Pandemic
Striving towards Relief and Recovery Efforts during COVID 19 Pandemic
Saturday Art Class: Social emotional learning through art
Saturday Art Class: Meet the co-founder - Manasi Mehan
Saturday Art Class: Meet the co-founder - Chhavi Khandelwal
Saturday Art Class Student, facilitates a workshop on Self Awareness+ Management through ART!
Exhibition 3.0
Exhibition 2.0
Exhibition 1.0
Saturday Art Class
Sarmaya x Saturday Art Class: Using Tholu Bommalaata puppets to talk about gender equality
Help One, Help All! - A Saturday Art Class Classroom Lesson Plan
I AM A SUPERSTAR!
Children From Low-Income Families Are Learning About Life Values Through Art, Thanks To Saturday Art Class
Watch: The Saturday art class that's drawing kids to school - Firstpost
Cultivating Minds Through Art | Chhavi Khandelwal and Manasi Mehan | TEDxISME
Art for learning and healing
International Youth Day 2019: Meet the young leaders transforming education
Arts for Good Fellowship 2020 - Arts for Good Fellowship 2020
Gratitude Network Announces 30 Fellows For 2020 Cohort Of Changemakers For Children
Building Trust in the classrooms
Saturday Art Class at Good Pitch India Panel
Show more

Implementation steps

Identify Desired Behavioral Outcomes & Impact
Begin by identifying the behavioral impact you aim to create in children and educators. Determine specific outcomes related to creativity, expression, empathy, & well-being.
Design and Develop Curriculum
Design & develop a holistic, scaffolded, & contextualized curriculum that aligns with national policy frameworks & leads to desired behavioral outcomes. Ensure the curriculum integrates visual arts & SEL effectively.
Establish Partnerships
Seek out partnerships with educational institutions that have an existing teacher network & infrastructure & express a need for art & SEL education programs. Collaborate with these partners to understand their requirements & tailor the curriculum accordingly.
Capacity Building of Teachers
Conduct capacity-building sessions for educators within partner institutions. Provide training on implementing the curriculum effectively, implementing visual art & SEL into their weekly schedule, & fostering a supportive learning environment.
Measure Baseline based on Identified Outcomes
Before implementation, measure the baseline of student & educator behaviors to understand the starting point & track progress over time.
Provide Curriculum & Resources
Provide the curriculum & resources to partner institutions promptly. Ensure educators have access to all necessary materials & support for successful implementation.
Support & Monitor Implementation
Support educators throughout the implementation process. Monitor art classes regularly, troubleshoot any challenges, & identify additional resources that can enhance the effectiveness of the classes.
Conduct Midline & Endline Assessments
Conduct midline assessments during the program to observe early impact & behavioral changes. At the end of the program, conduct comprehensive endline assessments to evaluate the overall impact & measure progress against initial goals.
Improve Program & Curriculum
Based on feedback, assessments, & observations, make necessary improvements to the program & curriculum. Update content, adjust strategies, & implement changes to enhance effectiveness & better meet the needs of children & educators in alignment with their context.

Spread of the innovation

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