Elleanor Jean Hendley continues to wear many different hats, but her most rewarding endeavor is that of mentor and champion for girls.
For more than twenty-five years Ms. Hendley worked at CBS 3 TV in Philadelphia, PA. where she held several positions including eyewitness news education reporter, producer/host of City Lights, a weekend primetime magazine show, and director of public affairs. Previously she was a New Jersey public middle school teacher during which time she created an afterschool dance and charm club for girls.
In 1985 while working full-time in television news, Ms. Hendley founded Teenshop, Inc.® a nationally-recognized college preparatory and life skills nonprofit weekend program that prepares ‘girls with goals®’ for college and careers.
Teenshop has five chapters in three states – California, New Jersey and Pennsylvania – and more than eight thousand girls have been enrolled, all of whom matriculate to college. Teenshop was the catalyst for Girls Achieve® , a school day workshop series Ms. Hendley created in 2005 after leaving television news. Girls Achieve offers curriculum-support and enrichments workshops. The Girls Achieve® brand has expanded to include the Girls Achieve® Activity Book and a line of consumer products.
Ms. Hendley has received numerous awards for excellence in broadcasting and community service. They include an Emmy Award, CBS 3 TV in Philadelphia, PA; Take the Lead Award, Girl Scouts of Southeastern Pennsylvania; Woman of Distinction Award, The Philadelphia Business Journal; Most Influential African Americans, The Philadelphia Tribune.
A graduate of Ohio’s Central State University, Ms. Hendley further studied at the Sorbonne in Paris, France. Active in community and civic affairs, she’s a member of the Forum of Executive Women, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, and The Links; Co-Founder of the Pennsylvania Coalition of 100 Black Women, and a Charter Member of the National Association of University Women of Suburban Philadelphia. Her hobbies and interests include studying jazz piano, doll collecting, and world traveling.
“When I was growing up, my dreams were limited by what I did not see. There were no women in television news who looked like me, so I could never have imagined that one day I would become an Emmy Award-winning journalist. When I decided to start Teenshop, I wanted to ensure that girls of color would meet successful women of color in diverse careers, and that this exposure would encourage them to dream big.”
