February 22–24, Girl Scouts nationwide participated in National Girl Scout Cookie Weekend 2019, celebrating the impactful entrepreneurial program that has sparked the success of millions of women. The Girl Scout Cookie Program®, the largest annual investment in girls in the United States, powers amazing experiences for girls as they learn invaluable entrepreneurial skills and make the world a better place.
At a time of year when many Girl Scouts across the United States are selling Girl Scout Cookies®, National Girl Scout Cookie Weekend, which is an annual event, encourages consumers to support the female leaders and change-makers of today and tomorrow. While just 17 percent of startups are founded by women, the cookie program equips girls with the skills and attributes they need, such as persistence, confidence, and healthy risk-taking, to become business founders and leaders in the future.
All of the proceeds fund troop projects and experiences, as well as important programming at the local level, such as outdoor adventure and science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). And many Girl Scouts invest their earnings back into their communities, which means that consumers are not just purchasing delicious cookies—they’re also supporting the betterment of their communities and a bright future for girls.
To illustrate the lasting positive impact of the Girl Scout Cookie Program on girls’ lives, GSUSA recently released a PSA, “Lessons That Last a Lifetime.” Inviting viewers to think outside the cookie box, the PSA highlights the essential skills a Girl Scout learns through the cookie program, which powers meaningful experiences that prepare girls for lifelong leadership and success—from speaking up in school and running for class office, to shattering glass ceilings in the workplace.
“When you purchase your favorite Girl Scout Cookies, you are investing in girls. And because all Girl Scout Cookie proceeds stay local, you are powering amazing Girl Scout experiences for girls in your local community. I’m so inspired by all of the incredible girl cookie entrepreneurs across the country who are cultivating their customers, setting ambitious goals, and flexing their leadership muscles,” said GSUSA CEO Sylvia Acevedo. “As a girl’s ‘first career move,’ the Girl Scout Cookie Program is proven to help girls develop skills like goal setting, risk taking, and decision making—setting them up to be the innovative female entrepreneurs and business leaders our country needs.”
National Girl Scout Cookie Weekend offers enterprising girls a chance to show off their cookie-selling skills by participating in booth and door-to-door sales as well as through the Digital Cookie® platform, an innovative and educational web-based addition to the cookie program that helps girls run their cookie businesses online. Now in its fifth year, Digital Cookie continues to keep Girl Scout programming current and relevant to today’s girls.
Throughout this year’s cookie weekend and for the duration of the 2019 Girl Scout Cookie season, eager customers will be able to get their hands on their favorite Girl Scout treats, including the Thin Mints® and Caramel deLites®/Samoas® varieties. Girl Scouts also offer two varieties of gluten-free cookies, depending on the geographic area. The Caramel Chocolate Chip cookie is new to the marketplace, and Toffee-tastic® is celebrating five years in the Girl Scout cookie lineup.