Growing Up Powerful

Revolutionize girlhood with the Growing Up Powerful Podcast from Rebel Girls! Join BFFs Asha and Jestine as they try to figure out this wild thing called life. Jump in for game shows, mindfulness breaks, advice from experts, and more! A companion series to the new guidebook from Rebel Girls, Growing Up Powerful celebrates the messiness and milestones of growing up.

These are stories about dealing with big feelings, changing bodies, and connecting to the world around you. And just so you know, some of these themes may be mature for our younger Rebels. We encourage listening with your grown up.

ep. 1: Monster Tea – Embracing Emotions

Welcome to Growing Up Powerful! On this episode, Jestine and Asha share a quick mindfulness practice to help you breathe through all kinds of emotions.

EP. 2: A Meeting Of Minds – True Friendships

Asha and Jestine learn how to be more compassionate with each other with the help of socio-emotional learning consultant, Aline Topjian.

Ep. 3: Expert Talk With Alexandra Vaccaro

Jestine interviews psychotherapist and yoga instructor, Alexandra Vaccaro! Hear Alex’s thoughts on therapy, keeping healthy boundaries for yourself, and what to do if you’re worried about a friend.

Ep. 4: Noodle Time – Body Relaxation

Asha and Jestine share a quick mindfulness practice to help calm and empower yourself. Are you ready to feel like a noodle?

Ep. 5: Go With The Flow – Period Power

Asha and Jestine find themselves in a game show about how to be good to our changing bodies and appreciate everything they can do.

Ep. 6: Expert Talk with Dr. Nicole Sparks

Asha interviews Dr. Nicole Sparks about the importance of caring for our changing bodies. Hear how Dr. Sparks likes to exercise her body and unwind her mind before bedtime.

Ep. 7: Move Over, Milkdud! – Making Space

Asha and Jestine lead us through a short mindfulness practice to help find space for yourself and your feelings.

Ep. 8: Biology and Banana Peels – Defining Family

Asha and Jestine team up with celebrated author and Teen Vogue columnist Nona Willis Aronowitz to chat with their neighbors on how they define family and what it means to them.

Ep. 9: Expert Talk with Nona Willis Aronowitz

Jestine interviews author and relationship columnist at Teen Vogue Nona Willis Aronowitz on how we can get along with our families, and what the concept of chosen families means to her.

Ep. 10: Hakuna Matata – Learning Languages

Asha and Jestine share a short mindfulness practice to help you connect with people all over the world.

Ep. 11: March Moveness – Culture and Community

While Jestine participates in a dance-a-thon, Asha takes a trip around the world where we get to hear about cultures and community traditions that shape and inspire us.

Ep. 12: Expert Talk with Beth Lucas

Jestine speaks to middle school counselor Beth Lucas about how we can create our own communities and why being connected is so important.

Ep. 13: Growing Up Powerful… Together! – Affirmations

Asha and Jestine lead a short mindfulness practice with empowering affirmations so you can see yourself as a positive force in the world.

Ep. 14: Right In Our Own Backyard – Celebrating Ourselves

Asha and Jestine share stories as a way to celebrate who and where we are in the world.

Ep. 15: Expert Talk with Aline Topjian

Jestine interviews socio-emotional learning consultant, Aline Topjian! Hear Aline’s thoughts on healthy habits and how to keep your cool when others are stressed around you.

Ep. 16: Girls Helping Girls period

Asha interviews Elise and Quinn Joy, co-executive directors of Girls Helping Girls Period and Jennifer Weiss-Wolf, Vice President at NYU Law’s Brennan Center for Justice and executive director of the Birnbaum Women’s Leadership Network and author of the book Periods Gone Public: Taking a Stand for Menstrual Equity. They discuss menstrual equity and the importance of access to menstrual hygiene products in school, at work, and wherever there are people with periods.

Money Matters! The Art of Balance: Budgeting

Money is everywhere! It let’s us pay for small things like ice cream and big things like a new bike. It even lets us buy toothpaste so we can brush our teeth! But how do you know that you’ll have enough money for everything? Listen to find out!

Money Matters! Stash Like a Chipmunk: Saving

Do you have a piggy bank or money box stashed under your bed? Then you’re already saving! Saving money is about taking care of future you. Let’s learn about an animal that’s GREAT at saving, and how we can learn to be just as good!

Money Matters! Protect Your Eggs: Investing

Life is full of risks, and sometimes you have to risk some money to make money! But have you ever heard the phrase “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket?” Let’s talk about keeping your eggs (and money) safe, happy, and growing!

Confidently You: Celebrating Every Girl’s Body

Asha and Jestine dive into all the mixed messages we get about body image and explore new ways to nurture and appreciate the bodies we have.

Dance Like Nobody’s Watching: Experience the Joy of Movement

Asha and Jestine are getting ready for a big school dance. At least, that was the plan, until Jestine realizes that she loves how she feels when she’s dancing, but not how she looks.

Tuning Into Yourself: Learn to Listen to Our Bodies

Asha is experiencing changes in her body that make her self-conscious and frustrated. Dr. Diedrichs helps her recognize how we can honor, accept and nurture all the different cycles our bodies experience.

CREDITS

This podcast is a production of Rebel Girls. It’s based on the Growing Up Powerful book series from Rebel Girls.

This series was produced by Joy Smith, Deborah Goldstein, and Haley Dapkus, with sound design and mixing by Mumble Media. It was written and edited by Abby Sher. Fact-checking by Joe Rhatigan and sensitivity read by Schuyler Swenson.

Narration by Margaret Ying Drake as Asha and Imani Parks as Jestine. Special thanks to our Expert Talk guests: Alexandra Vaccaro, Dr. Nicole Sparks, Nona Willis Aronowitz, Beth Lucas, and Aline Topjian.

Original theme music was composed and performed by Elettra Bargiacchi. Our executive producers were Joy Smith and Jes Wolfe.

Thank you to the whole Rebel Girls team who make this podcast possible. Stay rebel!