Staff Report
This year’s season for selling Girl Scout Cookies, which runs through March 11, features the return of S’mores, the most popular flavor ever launched in the 101 years of Girl Scout Cookies.
Through the sales program, girls learn entrepreneurial and business skills while earning money to fund their activities. Almost a million Girl Scouts nationwide participate in the cookie program each year, generating nearly $800 million in sales during the average season.
“As girls participate in the iconic Girl Scout Cookie Program, they are part of the largest girl-led entrepreneurial program in the world while learning to take the lead and make an impact in their communities,” said Girl Scouts of California’s Central Coast CEO Jody Skenderian. “Furthermore, when Girl Scouts sell cookies, they’re learning to speak up; gaining confidence and practicing everyday life skills that will benefit them for years. When you buy a box of cookies, you’re helping girls be successful in life.”
All of the net revenue raised through the Girl Scout Cookie Program stays with the local council and troops. Councils use cookie earnings to fund experiences for girls through their programming, while girls and their troops decide how to invest in effective community projects or personal enrichment opportunities.
Further, the skills girls learn in the cookie program also influence later success: 57 percent of Girl Scout alumnae in business say the cookie program was beneficial to skills they possess today, such as money management, goal-setting and public speaking.
This year, girls will sell cookies door-to-door and at booths, as well as through Smart Cookie, an educational web-based app that helps girls run and manage their sales online. Through secure login, girls can create and manage their sales on the go.
On National Girl Scout Cookie Weekend, from Feb. 23-25, Girl Scout councils across the country will host events and set up booths for cookie enthusiasts to join in on the fun.
To find cookie varieties available locally, visit www.girlscoutcookies.org. To join or volunteer, visit www.girlscouts.org/join and www.girlscouts.org/volunteer.
