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Girl Scouts 'Tagalong' and learn new skills at the annual Cookie University
Originally posted on NewsCenter.1
RAPID CITY, S.D. – The cookie season is nearly here and Girl Scouts Dakota Horizons started preparing with the annual Cookie University Saturday (Feb. 4) held at South Dakota Mines. There were different activities that Girl Scouts participated in to learn skills that will help them sell cookies.
Cookie University:
“At this event, we get girls of all levels ready for the upcoming cookie season,” Adriane Cole, Troop Engagement Specialist with Girls Scouts Dakota Horizons, said.
Daisies (grades K-1) and Brownies (grades 2-3) were taught skills such as public speaking, how to talk about the products, and goal setting. But there’s even an event for older girl scouts.
“We have our Beyond Cookie University going on for the first time this year, which is for our middle and high school girls,” Cole said. “They’re learning more about entrepreneurship, which is from the ground up, things that they learned about as they were Daisies and Brownies and even Juniors from going out to Cookie Booth to learning how to establish an online platform, especially with the new Raspberry Rally that we have this year, which is an online exclusive for Girl Scouts this year.
Activities:
Kids performed skits, answered trivia questions and even tried some cookies to learn the different skills.
“One of our stations is showing your cookies spirit, which is signage. The Daisies and Brownies love making signs and decorating their cookie booths. Just something that is eye-catching and what that develops into later could be something in marketing. So you’re getting people to you. You’re making yourself stand out in that respect. There’s goal setting,” Cole said. “So there’s pictures of different trips or different days or different activities, and they’ll say, ‘Yes, I want to do that.’ All right. How much does it cost to do that? How many boxes of cookies do you have to sell?”
Developing skills over the years:
The benefits of this event are that these skills develop through the years and usually stay with the Girl Scouts.
“They know what they want to do, whether it is getting material to make blankets for animals at the Humane Society or even our older girls. They are saving money for some of the international trips that are available through Girl Scouts Dakota Horizons and USA,” Cole said.
She also says that it starts off from the beginning with learning how to speak to people in public. As they learn this skill, the girls’ confidence will grow as they also continue to learn about the cookie program.
It also helps older Girl Scouts learn how to plan, save and manage money.
“For our older girls, this is their own girl-led business,” Cole said. “So this goes into online entrepreneurship and businesses that they start themselves later in the future. And you really do see these skills build upon each other as they grow up through the Girl Scout program.”
Why they hold the Cookie University every year:
“We get new girls in the program every year. Our biggest demographic is, of course, our Daisies and Brownies. For many, this is our first cookie season. So this gets them, their troop leaders, and their parents prepared for the Girl Scout cookie season and get them more comfortable with it,” Cole said. “For older girls, they’re building upon the skills that they’ve already learned and will bring in speakers and other volunteers that helped with the Girl Scouts.”
Cookie Booths:
The first day that cookie booths will be available in the Rapid City area is Friday, February 17.
