Back in the late '80s and early '90s, Elizabeth Berkley played brainy Jessie Spano on NBC's Saved by the Bell, a sitcom adults ignored and kids adored. And while it's been years since she rocked acid-washed denim, Berkley still gets recognized as her character—thanks to reruns. "A new generation of girls started coming up to me," says the New York City-based actress, 34. "Not just wanting an autograph but wanting to talk."

Berkley got stopped by fans eager for advice on boys and body image so often that her husband, painter Greg Lauren, 37 (nephew of designer Ralph), jokingly suggested she write an advice column called "Ask Elizabeth." But Berkley did him one better. Last year, she launched Ask-Elizabeth, a self-esteem-building workshop she leads with groups of middle and high school girls nationwide. "I don't have all the answers," says Berkley. "But I share my personal stories [and] struggles."

During her two-hour workshops, girls submit anonymous questions for Berkley to read. Then she and those in the group offer advice. "We get into the juicy girly stuff," says Berkley. Example? "I like a 'bad boy.' My mom doesn't. What do I do?"

So far, her reviews have been raves. "She felt like one of us," says Beatriz Montilla, 12, who attended a session at Manhattan's East Harlem School. Adds her pal, actress Jennifer Beals: "Elizabeth was born to do this—she saw girls needed to be heard."

And they're inspired by Berkley's own misadventures in Hollywood. Still acting in film and theater, Berkley candidly tells the girls how she struggled to save her career after starring in the notorious '95 bomb Showgirls. "They love hearing I didn't let somebody stop me," she says. "This is one of the most fulfilling things I've ever done."