(NAPSI)—The next time you take a bite of sweet Thin Mints® or Girl Scout S’mores® cookies, you’ll be doing more than pleasing your palate. Each and every Girl Scout Cookies® purchase powers amazing experiences for girls, and 100 percent of the net proceeds stay local to benefit the Girl Scout council and troop. Now, in the 101st year of Girl Scouts selling cookies, the organization is celebrating the next century of female entrepreneurs and highlighting the incredible skills and opportunities that selling cookies has powered for the millions of girls and alums all over the United States.
Buying Cookies Is an Investment in Female Leadership
Selling cookies teaches girls essential entrepreneurial skills that benefit them both now and in their future careers. The inclusive, all-girl environment of a Girl Scout troop creates a safe space where they can try new things, develop a range of skills, take on leadership roles, and simply be themselves. Purchasing cookies is an investment in girls and their leadership, both now and in their future careers.
As one successful businesswoman, Cyd Brandvein, Director at Google, explained: “The work ethic, goal-setting, and entrepreneurial skills I gained through the cookie program, not to mention the supportive, all-girl environment and female role models that Girl Scouts provided, contributed greatly to my ability and success in my career today.”
Anyone who thinks selling Girl Scout Cookies isn’t rocket science should consider Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) CEO Sylvia Acevedo. Once an actual rocket scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, she emphasizes, “The most valuable business lesson I ever learned was thanks to the Girl Scout Cookie Program®. I learned not to take ‘no’ for an answer, and as a young woman pursuing a career in STEM, I heard ‘no’ all the time. The skills I gained from selling Girl Scout Cookies pushed me to excel in a career that was outside the norm for girls like me. And many of our more than 50 million alums credit their career success to skills they learned selling cookies. After all, a Girl Scout Cookie purchase is more than just a delicious treat—it’s an investment in girl entrepreneurs who will grow up to be the female business leaders of the future.”
Given that more than half of Girl Scout alums in business fields credit the Girl Scout Cookie Program with helping them develop skills they use today-including money management, goal setting, and public speaking—selling Girl Scout Cookies has helped millions of female entrepreneurs over the past 100 years spark their careers.
How It Works
During Girl Scout Cookie season, participating Girl Scouts across the country unlock their amazing G.I.R.L. (Go-getter, Innovator, Risk-taker, Leader)™ potential, selling cookies door to door and at booths, as well as through the Digital Cookie® platform, an innovative and educational web-based addition to the cookie program supported by Dell that allows girls to run and manage their Girl Scout Cookie businesses online. The funds from every cookie purchase power amazing experiences for girls year-round.
Cookie Earnings Support Your Local Community
Because 100 percent of the net revenue girls raise through cookie sales funds local Girl Scout council programs, troop programs, and community projects, customers who purchase cookies are making an important investment in their community and supporting exciting and formative leadership experiences for girls. Councils depend on cookie earnings to run their programming, and girls decide how to devote their troop’s portion of the earnings to impactful community projects and personal enrichment opportunities.
Learn More
To find Girl Scouts selling cookies near you, visit www.girlscoutcookies.org or use the official Girl Scout Cookie Finder app, free on iOS and Android devices. To volunteer, reconnect, donate, or join, visit www.girlscouts.org.
“The @GirlScouts Cookie Program allows girls to be an #entrepreneur, take on #leadership roles, and have amazing experiences. www.girlscoutcookies.org http://bit.ly/2Hk4ZGJ”
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Note to editors: Girl Scouts will celebrate the next century of female entrepreneurs during National Girl Scout Cookie Weekend 2018, February 23−25. Cookie season runs January through April, varying by location. Visit www.girlscoutcookies.org to find out when girls are selling cookies in your area.