How Saturday Art Class Strengthened Evidence for Arts-Based SEL
Saturday Art Class (SArC) runs an arts-based Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) program designed to nurture students’ emotional well-being, confidence, and creative self-expression. SArC wanted to understand how and to what extent the program was influencing learners and build a stronger research foundation to advocate for the role of arts in education.
Populi supported them through a comprehensive, mixed-methods impact evaluation and an evidence-mapping exercise that brought clarity, credibility, and strategic direction to their work.
We conducted a rigorous evaluation to measure SEL outcomes
To capture changes in students’ SEL skills and creative behaviours, we designed an assessment approach that combined:
- Performance-based tasks
- Classroom observations
- Focus Group Discussions with parents
- Interviews with facilitators, school leaders and students
- Analysis of students’ artwork and creative outputs
This helped build a deep, nuanced understanding of how students were thinking, feeling, and engaging differently as a result of the Art Labs Program.
We mapped global and Indian evidence to strengthen their advocacy narrative
Alongside the evaluation, we conducted a detailed evidence-mapping and literature review on arts education and SEL.
This helped SArC answer a critical question:
Why should arts be integrated into the school curriculum?
The review highlighted research-backed links between creative expression, emotional development, classroom engagement, and well-being—giving SArC stronger language, legitimacy, and materials to engage donors, educators, and policy influencers.
We delivered insights that shaped program design and strategy
Our findings helped Saturday Art Class:
- Identify measurable shifts in SEL competencies
- See how creative expression was influencing confidence, collaboration, and engagement
- Clarify their program outcomes and strengthen their Theory of Change
- Articulate their impact more confidently to external stakeholders
- Refine elements of program design to improve delivery and learning outcomes
This evidence gave SArC the clarity they needed to improve the program internally and communicate its value externally.
We helped them communicate their impact with credibility
By grounding the program in both rigorous evaluation and research-backed evidence, SArC was able to:
- Strengthen proposals and conversations with funders
- Make a stronger case for integration of arts-based SEL in mainstream schooling
- Position themselves as a thought leader in arts education
This report was presented at the Saturday Art Class’ Art Symposium held in May 2025.
Impact
Our collaboration helped Saturday Art Class deepen its contribution to arts-based education in India, backed by credible evidence of student growth and a strong narrative for system-level advocacy.
Author:
Payal Jain,
CEO, Populi
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