In the four years she has worked at Downtown’s Monarch School for Homeless Youth, 30-year-old Rachelle Jacobson has launched volunteer, mentor and after-school programs for its 12- to 17-year-old students. Her work includes developing programs and training manuals, as well as supervising those involved.

As the school’s creative director, Jacobson brings in artists, educators from local museums and theaters, and staff from nonprofit organizations to teach elective courses such as dance, multimedia and drama. Jacobson also is in charge of recruiting students for the various classes and projects.

“This population moves around quite a bit,” Jacobson says of Monarch students, who attend the school voluntarily. “The kids are homeless, in transition from one living situation to another, transferring shelters or going through a crisis.”

Through one middle school class and two high school classes, Monarch serves up to 150 students at a time year round, with only one holiday vacation. “These kids are often behind and need to study during what would be a holiday break,” she adds. “We are only closed at Christmas.”

Jacobson also has organized Monarch field trips to museums in Balboa Park, Riverside and the San Diego State University student galleries. She founded and coaches the Steel Monarchs, the school’s steel drum band and fund-raising tool. She also coordinated “The Real Life,” a student art exhibit of poems and photos displayed at the campus, 808 W. Cedar St.

“We wanted students to show aspects of their real lives, so when people come to tour the facility, they will we able to see what the students go home to when they leave,” Jacobson says. “This allows the public to have an inside look into the stuff you don’t see when you meet the kids.”

— Lora Watters