What If We Taught Children to Express, Not Just Excel? Manasi Mehan on Educating the Heart through Art

In this episode of On Second Thought, I speak with Manasi Mehan — co-founder and CEO of Saturday Art Class, an organisation bringing He(art) back into education through visual arts and social-emotional learning (SEL).I’ve spent the early years of Saturday Art Class alongside them — sometimes up close, sometimes from afar — but always as someone who deeply believes in the world they’re building. Which is why this conversation, with Manasi as my second (and most special) guest, means so much.We trace the arc of Saturday Art Class: from a scrappy, volunteer-led classroom experiment to a national program working across schools, governments, and educator networks. Manasi shares what sparked the idea, how she and her co-founder Chhavi built early trust with the system, and why expression and emotional literacy are essential — not optional — in education.We also talk about her personal evolution: what it’s taken to grow from a passionate founder into a clear-eyed leader, how she’s built and scaled a team, and what her time at Harvard taught her about sharpening vision without losing heart. Manasi speaks candidly about the hard decisions, the doubts, and the responsibility of building something that lasts.This episode is about creative expression, safe spaces — and what happens when you believe in children, and build with conviction. It's about Educating the Heart, Head and Hands through Art. I hope it leaves you, as it left me, with a little more clarity about what education could be — and what’s possible when we make space for expression.Timestamps:00:00 Introduction to Saturday Art Class03:17 Manasi Mehan's Journey and the Genesis of Saturday Art Class05:42 The Importance of Social Emotional Learning (SEL) in Art09:10 Impact of Saturday Art Class on Children12:52 Evolution of Saturday Art Class: From Volunteer Program to Train the Trainer Model15:41 Navigating Partnerships and Authorities in Education18:18 The Role of Incubators and Fellowships in Shaping Saturday Art Class23:51 Challenges and Learnings as a Leader in the Social Sector28:08 Building an Ecosystem and Collaboration in the Arts30:03 Measuring Impact and Creating Safe Spaces32:39 ConclusionAbout Saturday Art Class:Saturday Art Class is a nonprofit that brings art and social-emotional learning into classrooms across India — creating space for children to feel, express, and belong.Founded on the belief that every child deserves a safe space to be seen and heard, SARC works with and within the education system to embed creative expression at the heart of learning. By integrating visual arts with Social Emotional Learning (SEL), the organization helps children build the skills they need to navigate the world — confidence, empathy, resilience, and self-awareness.At its core, Saturday Art Class exists to make expression accessible — because when children are given the tools to create with confidence, they begin to believe in themselves and their place in the world.Some further recommended watching: Do schools kill creativity? | Sir Ken RobinsonFollow: Saturday Art Class