We had the good fortune of connecting with Rachelle Archer and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Rachelle, how has your background shaped the person you are today?
My unique upbringing shaped me in countless ways, four of which feel important today. I was born in California. When I was 5, my parents sold everything and moved our family to a missionary commune on a farm in the Netherlands. What was intended to be a year-long adventure turned into 14 living internationally. Being exposed to other cultures, languages, and world views at an early age made me open, adaptable, and curious — qualities that have served me well as an artist, healer, and educator.

My childhood world was full of creativity and imagination. Storytelling, music, street theater and dance were used in service of joy, connection, and healing. It set me on a path to weave the transformative power of the arts, ritual and play into my work, supporting vulnerable youth and the adults who serve them.

Being a missionary kid exposed me to human suffering and what it means to give your life to a powerful cause. It instilled in me a deep sense of empathy and a drive to stand up for the most vulnerable. That calling has been my true north since my first job at a shelter for teens in 1995.

Lastly, one doesn’t grow up living communally without developing strong beliefs in collaboration and collective action. Asking, “What we can do together that we can’t do alone?” has kept me out of isolation and expanded possibilities even in the darkest times.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
In the 90’s, my advisor at the School of Social Work scoffed when I told my class I hoped to combine social work with the arts to reach vulnerable teens. “Let’s just try to get you a job!” she sneered. But I would not be swayed. Her naysaying motivated me to keep going. I was determined to do something different!

A few years later, while working at a group home for teens, someone handed me a message slip that read that some woman wanted me to work at her school for unhoused teens. I soon became the first employee of the Monarch School Project after news of the creative work I was doing with youth had spread to the head teacher there. She invited me to start an arts-based after school program. I went on to get a masters degree in Expressive Arts Therapy and reached hundreds of youth, families, and staff annually for nearly 15 years through our Therapeutic Arts Program.

When I was invited to join the team at NCRC and lead the new Thrive program, I wasn’t sure I was up for it. I didn’t particularly want a “job-job”. I would have to let most of my business go to take this big project on. The program didn’t appear particularly creative at first glance, but my colleagues felt I was the perfect person for the role. Turns out they were right! My work at Thrive draws on my skills in education, coaching, and mentoring young practitioners, my passion for creative youth development, my experience with vulnerable youth and families, and my commitment to wellness and community building. Plus, after some rough years of solo-preneurship, I don’t have to do it alone. During this divisive time in our country, I am grateful to be surrounded by THE experts in conflict resolution!

Looking back, a few lessons come to mind:

– Develop a strong sense of your identity as a practitioner AND be willing to reinvent yourself. You aren’t defined by what you do, but by the way others feel in your presence.
– Say yes when others see something in you that you don’t see yourself. It’s an opportunity to blossom in new ways. To show up for others you didn’t know needed your unique skillset and perspective.
– Take risks, follow your gut, trust your creative vision, and try those unconventional approaches. They will eventually become the new norm and you will have the pride and satisfaction of the trail blazer!

Looking ahead, what excites me is building a legacy. For 22 years I helped build the national model for engaging unhoused youth that the Monarch School Project now shares with others. Today I get to do that again at NCRC. Our unique post-juvenile diversion empowerment program is designed to keep vulnerable, justice-impacted youth out of the system and in their communities flourishing. Our vision is to take it county-wide and develop a national model. Leaving road maps to community healing and youth empowerment for others to follow is deeply satisfying.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
A short list of current favorite spots: -Brunch at Madison on Park
-Drinks at Kairoa’s rooftop bar
-Barrio Logan Cultural Disctrict: make sure to grab tacos and micheladas at Fish Guts!
-Vibe out at Nomade Tapas & Records – great music and delicous eats.
-Ice cream at Stella Jean’s when the line at An’s Dry Cleaning is too long.
-Balboa park is a great spot for picnics, walks, and museums. Don’t miss Wednesday night Jazz Jam at Panama 66!
-Need your spirits lifted? Soul Sunday at QuartYard has been my favorite monthly music event in town since 2018.

Lastly, I would like to shoutout my very own Playback Theatre ensemble! For over 3 years, “Refugia Playback” has been bringing the healing magic of storytelling to San Diego audiences through this powerful form of community-based improv. Tell a story from your life and watch it played back on the spot by deeply attuned players and musicians. Our performances are either open to the community or tailored to meet the specific needs of groups seeking to build empathy and connection among their members. Check out the youtube link below for more.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
This year my career took an unexpected turn. I want to acknowledge the catalysts for that change!

After over two decades at the Monarch School Project for unhoused youth, I’d spent a handful of years doing my own thing, building Artful Leadership Coaching & Consulting, focusing on wellness in the social impact sector. A serendipitous series of events reconnected me with Daniel Orth, a former colleague in the arts and peace building, who brought me on as a facilitator at the National Conflict Resolution Center’s Training Institute, where he is now the Associate Director. Shortly thereafter, on his recommendation, our President Steven R. Dinkin and his inspiring team invited me to join their paradigm-shifting work in juvenile justice — ending the school to prison pipeline and moving beyond anti-recidivism to thriving.

Since October of ’24, it’s been an honor to help build the final piece of that initiative: the Thrive Program. I’m so grateful for my team of pioneers at Thrive, our devoted colleagues at the NCRC-supported DA Juvenile Diversion Intitiative Program, the amazing leaders who took a chance on me, the support staff who make our work possible, and lastly, the community organizations who so passionately partner with us to surround our youth with all the resources they need to unlock their true potential.

Website: https://ncrconline.com/thrive/ Tap the “donate” button to support our youth empowerment work!

Instagram: @artfulleadership

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelle-archer-ma-acc-897149b/

Youtube: https://youtu.be/g56TiOSelLk?si=7zbvZFHvrU3rJVQd

Image Credits
Douglas Gates Lisa Maxwell Peter Schrock Jenn Cormier Shawn Lloyd

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