You can pre-order Girl Scout cookies online

The wait is over! Girl Scouts throughout Oregon and Southwest Washington are now taking Girl Scout Cookie pre-orders from family, friends and neighbors.

Eight varieties, including Thin Mints®, Samoas®, Tagalongs®, Do-si-dos®, Trefoils®, Savannah Smiles®, Rah-Rah Raisins™and gluten free Toffee-tastic™, return for 2016 at the same price of $4 per box (with the exception of Toffee-tastic™, which are $5).

While almost everyone knows about Thin Mints® and Samoas®, few know about the valuable life skills learned through the Girl Scout Cookie Program. Girls learn how to run a small business byactuallyrunning a small business. These young “Cookie Bosses” develop five skills through participation:

Goal setting – Girls set individual and troop sales goals, and work together as a team to reach them. Knowing how to set and reach goals prepares girls for success in school, on the job and in life.
Decision making – Girls decide where and when to sell cookies, how to market their sale and what to do with their earnings. The decision making process is girl-led, and often made in a team environment. Girls use proceeds to fund life-changing experiences such as camp or travel, and to fund important community service projects. Many girls choose to donate cookies or a portion of their proceeds to causes that matter to them such as food pantries, animal shelters, children’s hospitals, police, fire, and military personnel and more.
Money management – Girls develop a budget, take cookie orders and handle customers’ money. A 2012 Girl Scout Research Institute study showed that 90 percent of girls surveyed say it’s important for them to learn to manage money, but just 12 percent of girls feel very confident about making financial decisions. The practice and experience gained through the Cookie Program helps girls feel more confident managing their lunch money and allowance today, and prepares them for confidently managing a paycheck in the future.
People Skills – Girls learn how to talk (and listen!) to customers, as well as how to work as a team with other girls. These skills matter on the playground, on sports teams, in group projects and eventually in the workplace.
Business ethics – Girls act honestly and responsibly, living the values of the Girl Scout Promise and Law during the program. Learning to act responsibly is important, as future employers want to hire ethical employees – and the world needs ethical leaders in every field.

In addition to traditional door-to-door and booth sales methods, for the second year in a row girls are also selling cookies online to faraway friends and family viaDigital Cookie™. The interactive platform is designed to help girls develop and practice online marketing, budgeting, resource allocation and e-commerce skills.

Girls will take pre-orders now through January 24. Don’t know a Girl Scout? No problem! Contactcookies@girlscoutsosw.orgto learn more about pre-ordering Girl Scout Cookies. Following the pre-order period,

Girl Scouts will sell cookies at booths outside of local retailers February 19 through March 13. Customers can find a booth nearby with theCookie Locatoror use the Cookie Locator app available for iPhone or Android. The iconic Girl Scout Cookie Program only runs through March 13, so act fast before they’re gone! Learn more atgirlscoutsosw.org/cookies.

About Girl Scouts of Oregon and Southwest Washington

Our council serves 14,923 girl members in 37 counties with the help ofover 10,362 adult members. The Girl Scout mission is to build girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place. Every opportunity in Girl Scouting develops these essential skills in an all-girl, inclusive, safe environment. For more information, visit girlscoutsosw.org.