The famous Thin Mints remain, but Girl Scouts are giving their cookie boxes an overhaul to highlight the real purpose of the $790-million cookie program, which is to teach girls five essential life skills: goal setting, decision making, money management, business ethics, and people skills. To celebrate such a monumental program, this year Girl Scouts has named February 8 National Girl Scout Cookie Day. Girls will be asking 50 million cookie fans across the nation to buy or order more boxes in honor of their success in running the largest girl-led business enterprise in the world.

All the revenue earned from cookie activities—every penny after paying the baker—stays with the local Girl Scout council that sponsors the sale. Councils use cookie revenue to supply essential services to troops, groups, and individual girls, such as providing program resources and communication support, training adult volunteers, and conducting events. As part of their experience in any Girl Scout product activity, girls can earn official Girl Scout awards at every level of Girl Scouting, including cookie and financial literacy badges and the annual Cookie Activity Pin.

Girl Scouts’ social media team is making the most of National Girl Scout Cookie Day on February 8. Highlights will include a #onemorebox contest with winners announced the day of, and live coverage of the day’s events. @GirlScoutsEMass will be tweeting the location of the Girl Scout Cookie booths, and hosting a contest to win a case of Girl Scout cookies. 

“The Cookie Program provides fun learning experiences to the girls as well as an important community service component know as Cookies for a Cause. Last year Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts sold 2.6 million boxes and more than 30,000 boxes were shipped to our soldiers overseas,” explains Ruth N. Bramson, CEO, Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts. “We are so proud that we can bring a small piece of home to the soldiers who put their lives on the line every day. Please help us support our troops by purchasing #onemorebox of Girl Scouts cookies to send to a soldier overseas,” said Bramson.

In the first package design update since 1999, the 200 million Girl Scout cookie boxes sold annually now feature a new look that highlights the skills girls learn through the program. A new GSUSA marketing campaign reinforces this more contemporary message with the theme, “This Is What a Girl Can Do.” And, for ease of purchase, customers can now find their Girl Scout Cookies using our cookie locator at hergirlscouts.org.