Founder's Profile

Elleanor Jean Hendley is an Emmy Award-winning former television news journalist and public school teacher. She is also the founder and CEO of EJ Hendley Consultants, LLC, a company that specializes in youth development and education. The signature program is Girls Achieve, a school day series of life skills workshops for adolescent girls.

For more than twenty years Ms. Hendley worked at the CBS affiliate in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where she held numerous positions during her television career. She served as the Eyewitness News education reporter, producer/host of 'City Lights', a weekend primetime magazine show broadcast for ten years, and the director of public affairs.

In 1985, while working fulltime in television, Ms. Hendley founded Teenshop, Inc., a volunteer weekend program for 'girls with goals'® that has been nationally recognized for its innovative series of workshops, field trips, community service projects, and college tours. There are five Teenshop chapters, four in Philadelphia and one in Los Angeles, California, and each one is directed by five dedicated female volunteers. ALL graduates attend college or pursue other education goals and several alumnae are now serving as volunteers in their former chapters.

Ms. Hendley has been honored with many awards from community groups and local governments and received a Congressional Citation for outstanding community service and excellence in broadcasting. For her work with Teenshop, she is a recipient of the coveted 'Take the Lead Award' from the Girl Scouts of Southeastern Pennsylvania, as a woman 'whose leadership in philanthropy builds strong people and communities.'

Active in community affairs, Ms.Hendley is an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, the Forum of Executive Women, a co-founder of the Pennsylvania Coalition of 100 Black Women Philadelphia Chapter, the Delaware Valley Links of the Links, Inc., and a charter member of the National Association of University Women Suburban Philadelphia. In her leisure time, Ms. Hendley is a world traveler, jazz piano student, and avid doll collector.

Email: founder@teenshop.org
Founder's column: Colors