News from Girl Scouts—Celebrating Our Founder's Vision, Cookie Season, Girls' Choice, and More!

World Thinking Day-Helping Girls Grow! [View in Browser]( [girl scouts]( February 13, 2017 A message from Girl Scouts of the USA's Interim CEO, Sylvia Acevedo Hello Girl Scouts! February 22----- World Thinking Day----- is one of my favorite Girl Scout holidays. For decades, in honor of World Thinking Day, girls have participated in activities and projects with their sister Girl Scouts and Girl Guides, which now include girls in 146 countries! This year's global theme, "Grow," encourages girls to explore, stretch, and take on new challenges----- to think about and better understand our larger world so that they can take action to make it a better place, all while celebrating what it means to be part of the global sisterhood that is Girl Scouts + Girl Guides. While many councils and troops have already planned activities to celebrate this day, if you're looking for ideas or want to learn more about this year's theme, I encourage you to check out our blog post, [Stretching to New Girl Scout Heights: Are you ready to grow this World Thinking Day?]( Also, next month brings with it our biggest celebration of the year----- Girl Scouts' birthday, March 12! Every year this Girl Scout holiday commemorates the day in 1912 when Juliette Gordon Low officially registered the organization's first 18 girl members in Savannah, Georgia. It recalls the now-famous call she placed to her cousin, during which she exclaimed, "I've got something for the girls of Savannah, and all of America, and all the world, and we're going to start it tonight!" Clearly, since its founding Girl Scouts has been a place for all girls. And on that note, I invite you to read my thoughts on [how we continue to honor our founder's inclusive vision today](. Earn Your World Thinking Day and Global Action Awareness Badges The 2017 World Thinking Day theme is "Grow"----- inspiring girls to explore, stretch, and take on new challenges. Girls can choose from a wide selection of ways to [earn their World Thinking Day badges]( from planting a garden to traveling abroad with their Girl Scout troop. The theme for this year's Global Action award is "Increasing Girls' Access to Education." At Girl Scouts, we believe every girl deserves the chance to get an education----- yet in many parts of the world, it's hard for girls to go to school and finish their education, whether due to poverty, lack of schools, or cultural factors. This year, Girl Scouts at all grade levels can [earn their award]( by addressing this worldwide problem, including by raising awareness about it. [Shop awards]( Celebrating 100 Years of Girl Scouts Selling Cookies! In January, Girl Scouts of the USA kicked off the 2017 cookie season, which marks the 100th anniversary of the first known sale of cookies by Girl Scouts. A century ago, girls started participating in what would become the largest entrepreneurial training program for girls in the world----- the Girl Scout Cookie Program! Through the years, the core aspects of the program have remained the same: girls learn the skills they need to become effective leaders, gain self-sufficiency, manage finances, and develop confidence in handling money----- all while raising funds to power amazing experiences for themselves and their fellow Girl Scouts. Of course, the program has also evolved over the years to meet girls where they are. In December 2014, that "where" was online----- in fact, that year Girl Scouts "broke the Internet" with the launch of [Digital Cookie](. This online expansion of the Girl Scout Cookie Program provides a platform for girls to market and sell cookies to customers via the web and mobile devices. And we're thrilled that Dell and Visa Checkout have continued to support the platform, which continues to grow nationwide. So, has all this cookie + girl leadership talk left you craving a tasty treat that helps girls follow their passions, take the lead in their lives and communities, and change the world? [Find cookies]( Stella & Dot Supports Girl Scouts To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the first known sale of cookies by Girl Scouts, GSUSA and Stella & Dot have entered into a cause marketing relationship to celebrate female leaders! From February 18 to March 18, Stella & Dot will dedicate all net proceeds (at least 20 percent of the retail purchase price) of eligible purchases of their "foundation bracelet" to Girl Scouts of the USA. [Learn More]( Girls' Choice----Badge Design Voting Opens February 13 As we [announced last month]( the next Girls' Choice badge will be Troop Camping----- as camp life is clearly the best life! Now it's time for girls to weigh in on the design of their new badges, because remember, it's her world. Starting February 13 through February 17, girls are invited to [vote on their favorite design]( for these badges. All they have to do is click on the link and choose their grade level to see two designs for the badge they'll be able to earn this coming fall. And though girls in the 12th grade won't technically be able to earn a badge this fall, we want to hear their voices, too! So they can still join the fun and vote on the Ambassador badge. Remember, Girls' Choice is all about giving girls a chance to shape their experiences and build their world. So adults can vote for fun, but only girl votes will count toward the winner. Please encourage every Girl Scout you know to make her voice heard by voting! [Vote starting February 13]( 6 Things All Girls Should Know Before They're 16 Whether your daughter is in pre-K or heading to prom this year, it's never too early (or too late) to give her the tools she'll need to live her best life. Among the countless skills and bits of wisdom that will serve her over the years, having six key tricks up her sleeve will give her the confidence to truly take on the world. [Check out the six things]( Think About Your Friends from Around the Country and Around the World As we take time on World Thinking Day to reflect on and celebrate what it means to be part of a global sisterhood, Girl Scouts has a special offer available on Daisy-, Brownie-, and Junior- inspired plush dolls. Collect them all or share with a friend! [Shop now]( G.I.R.L. 2017----Registration Opens March 14! Save the date to join us at a one-of-a-kind gathering of girls and women from around the world! In October, we're shining the spotlight on girls, making our Girl Scout convention the premier event for every G.I.R.L. (Go-getter, Innovator, Risk-taker, Leader)TM who wants to make the world a better place----- and we're calling this event G.I.R.L. 2017. For three days, girls will dominate Columbus, Ohio----- and we want you to be a part of it. G.I.R.L. 2017, October 6-8, 2017, will draw more than 10,000 of the brightest, strongest, and most capable girls and women in the world. Excited? We are! Be sure to mark your calendar and tell your friends----- for a limited time you can save 15 percent on registration by taking advantage of our [early bird registration]( price starting March 14. [Learn more about G.I.R.L. 2017]( Girl Scout Partners Girl Scouts of the USA would like to thank the many corporations and foundations that support our mission of building girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place. To learn more about how each of these organizations supports Girl Scouts, please see [Our Partners]( page. Want to get involved with Girl Scouts? [Join]( | [Volunteer]( Have a question? Don't be shy! [Contact us]( for more information. This email was sent to: {EMAIL} You are receiving this e-mail because you have requested to receive information from Girl Scouts of the United States of America. [Privacy Policy]( | [Unsubscribe]( | [Manage Subscriptions]( Our address is 420 5th Ave., New York, NY 10018 © 2017 Girl Scouts of the United States of America. All Rights Reserved.