When most people think of Girl Scouts, cookies come to mind — Thin Mints, Samoas, and maybe a cheerful hello outside your favorite grocery store from a girl proudly wearing a green vest decorated with colorful badges. But beyond the familiar flavors and bright rectangular boxes lies an ingredient that often goes unnoticed: empowerment, and the skills that help girls grow into confident entrepreneurs.
Girl Scout cookie season is around the corner, starting with the “Mega Drop” this weekend and sales launching February 6 in Jacksonville. As cookie sales take off, pop-up booths will appear throughout the city, offering residents a chance to support local troops while enjoying some of their favorite treats.
Though many see Girl Scouts as a youth organization, their impact across the Jacksonville area is anything but small. Powered by young but mighty leaders, Duval County alone is home to 128 of the 487 troops within the Girl Scouts Gateway Council, which serves Northeast Florida from Gainesville to Pensacola. This year, cookie season will bring 127 cookie booths to Duval and surrounding counties, including Clay, St. Johns and Nassau.
“People know Girl Scouts sell cookies, but they don’t always see the outcomes — the workforce development pipeline it creates by building confidence, customer communication, teamwork, and resilience, as well as the opportunity to say, ‘Maybe that didn’t go as planned,’ and try again,” said Wendy Dordel, chief executive officer of the Girl Scouts Gateway Council. “While earning badges and skills, girls explore what they want to do next and grow into the leaders of tomorrow, in whatever way they choose
From the skills it takes to be a Girl Scout to how you can volunteer at the ‘Mega Drop’ and find cookie booths this season. Here’s what you need to know:
Girl Scouts’ community involvement at the Jacksonville Icemen Game
Beyond cookie sales, Girl Scouts are deeply involved in their communities. Just a few weeks ago, in partnership with the Jacksonville Icemen to kick off cookie season, Girl Scouts hosted a Winter Olympics–themed cookie rally at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena. The Gateway Council brought together more than 700 Girl Scouts and their families for the event. Attendees played interactive games, sampled the new “exploremores” cookie flavor, and, prior to puck drop, welcomed Jacksonville Icemen players through a high-five tunnel. Throughout the match, they cheered louder than anyone else in the arena, chanting “let’s go Lizard Kings.”
It’s at events like this that the real lessons of Girl Scouts shine. After speaking with girls, their parents, and Wendy Dordel, CEO of the Girl Scouts Gateway Council, a clear theme emerged: confidence, leadership, and practical life skills.
What skills do Girl Scouts gain that go far beyond cookie sales?
“We learn people skills, business ethics, money management, decision making, and goal setting,” said 13-year-old Kriya Dhimole, a Girl Scout Cadet from Troop 362. She added, “For me, it’s all about going into the real world, being myself, and being empowered by other girls.”
Asomani, entering her seventh year as a Girl Scout, has set a goal to sell 400 cookies this season, while Dhimole aims for 600. But the lessons go far beyond sales. Troops decide together how to use their earnings, whether funding service projects or planning trips. “This year we are planning to go to the Girl Scout Convention in Washington, D.C., where we get to learn more essential skills,” said Asomani. It’s a hands-on way to practice goal setting, teamwork, and financial planning, mirroring real-world business strategies.
“Girl Scouts has taught me to be more confident in myself and I’ve learned so many skills that I use in real life,” added 12-year-old Krisha Asomani, a Cadet from Troop 362.
Other skills carry far beyond cookie season. Dhimole highlights money management as a core lesson: “It plays a big role in our cookie booths because we have to be very precise about how money is used, saved, and distributed.” Dordel also emphasizes resilience and mental awareness as part of real-life preparedness: “It happens at camp, during cookie sales, while earning badges. It happens in all the programs and in the work with your troop.”
The social connections and friendships Girl Scouts form are equally valuable. “It’s a nice little community and they get to branch out,” said Beatriz Rios, mother of 9-year-old Girl Scout Junior. She also pointed to her daughter’s learning in environmental awareness and applied math as part of the program’s money management exposure: “When they are selling their cookies, they learn how to put their math to use. They get to practice with fake money, and they have to do the math. Even when they’re buying something at the store, they need to know, ‘How much am I supposed to get back?’”
From teamwork and leadership to financial literacy and confidence, Girl Scouts are building a toolkit that will serve them long after the cookie booths close, proof that these young leaders are, indeed, mighty beyond their years.
Girl Scouts of Gateway Council by the numbers. How many Girl Scouts are in the Jacksonville area?
What’s Girl Scouts ‘Mega drop’? When is it?
The Girl Scout Cookie “Mega Drop” is a high-energy, one-day event where tens of thousands of cookie cases move from delivery trucks straight into the cars and trailers of troop volunteers. It officially launches cookie booth sales, helping troops stock up for the season ahead.
Mega Drop this year will be held Feb. 6 and 7 ahead of cookie sales. Donuts and coffee are provided at every location.
See ‘Mega Drop’ Jacksonville locations:
Want to help launch cookie season? How to sign up to volunteer in North Florida’s ‘Mega Drop’ event?
The Girl Scout Gateway Council, which covers most of North Florida, including Jacksonville, St. Augustine, Pensacola and Talahassee is looking for volunteers to help launch cookie season.
Want to help? You must sign up and submit your Mega Drop volunteer form online.
When do Girl Scout cookies go on sale in Jacksonville? Find a booth and buy cookies near you
According to the Girl Scouts website, cookie sales will run from Feb. 6 through March 7, with booths set up outside various stores across the Jacksonville area, including Publix, Winn-Dixie, Gator’s Dockside, Mellow Mushroom, Sam’s Club, Walmart, Lowe’s, Harold’s Meat Market and others.
Go to the Girl Scouts Cookies finder and enter your ZIP code to find where and when cookies will be on sale near you.
Can I buy Girl Scout cookies online?
Yes. The wait is over. Girl Scout cookies are now available to be ordered online by visiting girlscoutcookies.org
To support your local Girl Scout troop, you can click the Find Cookies search box, enter your ZIP code and then purchase from your local troop’s digital cookie store.
What does ‘Exploresmores’ new Girl Scout cookie taste like?
The ‘Exploresmores’ new flavor was inspired by the popular ‘The Rocky Road’ ice cream, with flavors of chocolate, marshmallow, and toasted almond crème, will have you wanting to scoop up every last package,” according to the Girl Scouts description of the new cookie.
What Girl Scout cookie flavors can you buy this year?
Along with the new Exploremores, you can also buy:
Contributing: Cheryl McCloud is a journalist for the USA TODAY Network-Florida’s service journalism Connect team.
Doris Alvarez is a Breaking and Trending Reporter for The Florida Times-Union. You can get all of Jacksonville’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday by signing up for the free Daily Briefing and News Alerts newsletters at jacksonville.com/newsletters.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Girl Scout empowerment skills, ‘Mega drop’ and cookie sales near you
Reporting by Doris Alvarez Cea, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union / Florida Times-Union
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
