Girl Scouts prepares girls for a lifetime of leadership, success and adventure. As an independent council of this 109-year-old organization, Girl Scouts Heart of Central California serves troops across 18 counties with the mission of building girls of courage, confidence and character who make the world a better place.
In the midst of Girl Scout cookie season (Jan. 8-March 28), Linda Farley, CEO of GSHCC, says, “We’re so well-known for our cookie program, but people often miss the importance of it for the girls: It helps them become entrepreneurs. The Girl Scouts leadership experience is supported by the four pillars of STEM, outdoors, life skills and entrepreneurial skills, and the cookie program thoroughly covers the entrepreneurial aspect.”
Five skills gleaned from the cookie program are goal setting, decision making, money management, people skills and business ethics. “The girls create individual plans to reach selling goals, make decisions on their own and as a team, create individual budgets, handle money, and interact with customers, which helps them find their voice and build confidence,” says Farley. “Ultimately, they learn how to act ethically and honestly in business and in life through the cookie program.”
Booth sales, normally an important aspect of the program, are sidelined due to state pandemic guidelines, so this year’s sales are conducted primarily online. “It’s important to return to booth sales as soon as we can, but this is teaching the girls how to market and sell in a different way,” Farley says. “They’re learning how to pivot a business, and it’s giving them an appreciation for what other local businesses are having to do. It’s also an opportunity to learn to communicate in a virtual world.”
GSHCC encourages everyone to find their favorite cookies online at girlscoutcookies.org to support the girls who are our future.
