In Your Ellement

Abby and Mary check in for the summer and reflect on the past two years of the Ellement podcast. It has been such a journey of personal growth as we've learned through such amazing interviews from some of the best people one could ever meet. We're also going to take this next season to pause and reflect. We will be back as we want to continue to be a positive voice to teens, as well as giv...

Gun violence in schools is becoming normalized, and especially teens in schools are processing the news of these regular events in different ways. This episode gives a voice to an often unheard feelings of students. --- In Your Ellement is a teen-hosted podcast covering conversations with teen allies. Sixteen-year-old host and TEDx speaker, Abby Jones, chats with some of the most inspiring educato...

Gun Violence, especially when it happens inside of a school, is unfortunately becoming a common occurrence. Not only is it a traumatic experience, it is unimaginable that we have to live with sense of fear in the back of our minds in a place that should be safe. Abby and Mary share a raw conversation about what they feel when they hear the latest news about current shootings.

"When you are a teenager, you know you're trying to find your own way. You're trying to grow into independence, but not quite an adult yet. Do not blow off the adults who do take an interest in you, you know, that teacher who's trying to get the best out of you, the neighbor, it could be the shift manager on your job. Those people are there to support you. And even in the name of i...

A follow up to Abby's interview with Sara Cravens, Abby asks for an impromptu voice lesson on how to make a commercial. Here's what she came up with!

There is significant pressure in our teen years to make a decision on what we want to do for the rest of our lives. From doing all the right things in the right order, to choosing the right college or career path, the weight of these decisions can be overwhelming. The reality is that this burden is make us feel like we have to make all of these decisions perfectly. The paths we choose lead us to c...

Self Care is a phrase that many of us have heard, and in recent years, we've begun to learn how important self care is as a part of meditation and practice in our everyday lives. But have you ever focused on self adoration? To take a moment to give yourself feelings of love and celebration? Adoration takes love to a different place and to adore yourself is to create moments of both self love a...

The power of positive thinking is incredibly important to understand, especially as we navigate life's hardships. How we think really affects how we feel, how we feel affects how we think, and we all have the power to make the world a better place. But, we each have to bring our own uniqueness to the world in order for everyone to fully receive your gifts. Understanding how our minds are deepl...

Our lives are complex, and when we are wrestling with questions about important decisions, the answers are not often found by a simple Google search. They are often discovered through a number of one on one connections with other people. Sometimes our friends can help us navigate our tough moments, but when we have access to people who are experts in areas of psychology, health, well-being and sex...

Black, white, smart, funny, athletic, anxious, confident, short, tall, spiritual, care free… we all wear different lenses of how we see the world. These shape who we are, build into our identity, and each perspective plays an important role as we grow into who we aim to become. We welcome Teah Stern, an Ellement Ambassador to talk about her different intersections of identity and how digging deep...

When we hear the word sensuality, we tend to think of sex and/or sexuality, even if only subconsciously. This conversation is not centered around either of those things, but instead it is about connecting to our senses - becoming a sensual being. Abby talks with podcast host, author, and sensualist Ev’Yan Whitney about the myths of sensuality, what sensuality means to them, and ways for us to be m...

Have you ever felt anxious about giving a speech in front of a class or inadvertently becoming the center or attention? This version of anxiousness called social anxiety is not a form of introversion or about being shy, rather it is a feeling like everything in a social situation is pointing towards us. Social anxiety comes to life and begins to present itself the most as we become teens.  Today w...

Music is such a powerful force that connects and brings us together. Bella Wright tells us about how this has inspired her to write music and pursue music as a career. Bella shares what inspires her, what keeps her going, how she listens to the "doubters" in pursuing a career as a songwriter, and even lets us know her "backup plans" if music doesn't work out :) --- Bella Wright...

Sex Education has come a long way in the last century, and yet it still has a ways to go. Abby talks with Inclusive Sex Educator Mariah about some things that are often left out of the classroom, and the home. She shares how comprehensive sex education goes beyond sex and the body, it includes conversations, education, and resources that expand to media literacy, consent, pressures, body awareness...

Issues being voted on in our local and federal government matter, but it's hard to feel like you can do anything about them - especially when you aren't old enough to vote. Maria Yuan of issuevoter.org helps us navigate how we can play an important role in our politics and how we can have influence right now with issues we care about for today and for our future. --- Maria Yuan first envis...

Words are powerful. For non-binary individuals, the use of proper pronouns is a sign of respect and can help them feel seen and heard. For many cisgender people who are working to become advocates for others, there can be a learning curve when it comes to using new pronouns for those who identify as non-binary. Silen Wellington shares their experiences of exploring personal pronouns, making mistak...

At any given moment in our lives, we are required to tap into a deep inner strength to see us through. These moments can often surprise us, and they make us stronger. Ellement Teens reflect on some of these key moments in their own lives when GRIT gave them the strength to stand up and push through. --- In Your Ellement is a teen-hosted podcast covering conversations with teen allies. Sixteen-year...

Grit… what is it and how can it help me as a teen? Abby brings Charlotte Wasserman of the It’s A Girl’s Life podcast and nonprofit back onto the podcast to dive deeper into this way of being.  Charlotte breaks down every aspect of what it means to live with G.R.I.T… Having guts, being resilient, embracing imperfections, and finding your team.  Share a time with us that you’ve been gritty to get fe...

Some take challenges in their middle school and high school years and make something of it later in life - today's guest Charlotte, on the other hand, started a non-profit AND a podcast. Her non-profit, It's a Girls Life, is geared at helping young women build resilience and motivation younger in life. Abby and Charlotte talk about how these two things have shown up in their lives and how...

Music likely holds some meaning to all of us in different ways. What does music mean to you?  Teen musicians join us on this episode as they reflect on just that, the role that music plays in their lives and what motivates them to play.  --- In Your Ellement is a teen-hosted podcast covering conversations with teen allies. Sixteen-year-old host and TEDx speaker, Abby Jones, chats with some of the...

Have you ever felt like you were not trusting yourself and your passions because you were trying to make others happy? Or you were going along with what is more socially rewarding? Maybe your passions are a creative outlet at first, but what if they are more than that? Creativity can play such an important role in our lives and show up in many ways. Learning to embrace it and other artistic expres...

Music is a gift that allows us to tap into all of our emotions - from happy to sad, to sheer joy and utter pain. Whether you are the listener or the performer, music is one of the best ways to tap into self expression. Ayanna Witter-Johnson shares the journey of her music career, the support systems and doorways that led her to her path, and how music gives us all a way to creatively express love,...

Friendships as girls can sometimes be tricky, but most times they are a gift. Ellement teens join us sharing about all things friendship in their worlds. Join us in this reflection by asking yourself or a friend any of these questions... Friendship to me looks like... My best friends make me feel... I look for friends that are... I make new friends by... Describe one of your best friends and why y...

Ellement teens share their relationship to being competitive as girl in this society. Join us in this reflection by asking yourself or a friend any of these questions... I do/don't consider myself competitive, because... Sometimes I feel competitive with other girls because... Things that make me feel competitive with other girls include things like... Being competitive makes me feel... Tune i...

Did you know that we are biologically programmed to be competitive with other girls? While this may be the case, it no longer serves us like it used to when we were cave people... In fact, it's doing more harm than not. Abby talks with the co-founder of the Girltelligence app, Naama Barnea-Goraly, about why we are naturally competitive with other girls, and how we can shift that energy into bu...