Girl Scout Cookies: A Delicious Way to Help Girls Grow and Learn (NAPSA)—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 proceedsstay local to benefit the Girl Scout council and troop. Now, in the 101st year of Girl Scouts selling cookies, the organizationis celebrating the next century of female entrepreneurs and highlighting the incredible skills and opportunities thatselling cookies has powered for the millionsofgirls and alumsall over the United States. Buying Cookies Is an Investmentin Female Leadership Selling cookies teachesgirls essential entrepreneurial skills that benefit them both now andin 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 ofskills, take on leadership roles, and sim- ply be themselves. Purchasing cookies is an investment in girls and their leadership, both now andintheir future careers. As one successful businesswoman, Cyd Brandvein, Director at Google, explained: “The work ethic, goal-set- ting, 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, contributedgreatly to my ability and success in my careertoday.” Anyone whothinksselling Girl Scout Cookies isn’t rocket science should consider Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) CEO Sylvia Acevedo. Once an actual rocket scientist at NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory, she emphasizes, “Ihe most valuable business lesson I ever learned was thanks to the Girl Scout Cookie Program’. Ilearned notto 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 meto 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 investmentin girl entrepreneurs who will grow upto be the female business leaders of the future” Given that more than half of Girl Scout alumsin businessfields credit the Girl Scout Cookie Program with helping them develop skills they use today— including money management,goalset- Girls have the power to become the next generation of female leaders. Developing their entrepreneurial skills through the Girl Scout Cookie Program can help. ting, and public speaking—selling Girl Scout Cookies has helped millions of female entrepreneurs over the past 100 years sparktheir careers. How It Works During Girl Scout Cookie season,par- ticipating Girl Scouts across the country unlock their amazing G.I.R.L. (Go-getter, Innovator, Risk-taker, Leader)™ potential, selling cookies doorto 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 thatallowsgirls to run and managetheir Girl Scout Cookie businesses online. The funds from every cookie purchase power amazing experiencesfor girls year-round. Cookie Earnings Support Your Local Community Because 100 percent ofthe net revenue girls raise through cookie sales funds local Girl Scout council programs, troop programs, and community projects, custom- ers who purchase cookies are making an important investmentin their community and supporting exciting and formative leadership experiencesfor 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. Note to editors: Girl Scouts will celebrate the next century offemale 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 whengirls are selling cookies in your area.
