HICKORY, N.C. - As local Girl Scout cookie sales begin in just under two months, Girl Scouts Carolinas Peaks to Piedmont (GSCP2P) is hosting a Cookie Expo and University to kick off the 2025 Girl Scout Cookie Season.

Girl Scouts from across the GSCP2P council will gather at the Family Life Center at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church in Hickory on Saturday, December 7 from 9:45 a.m. to 3 p.m.

“The Girl Scout Cookie Program is the largest girl-led entrepreneurial program in the world, and these events are unique opportunities for local Girl Scouts to start their season with excitement and learning,” said Jeannie Brown, Senior Director of Product Program at GSCP2P. “Not only does the Girl Scout Cookie Program teach girls essential life skills for success today and the future, but the program also funds their Girl Scout experiences for a year of adventure, growth and fun.”

Girl Scout Cookie Expo will run from 9:45 a.m. to noon and includes fun, hands-on activities for Girl Scout Daisies, Brownies and Juniors, grades kindergarten through five, to boost their confidence as an entrepreneur and get excited for running their own cookie business.

Girl Scout Cookie University: The Game of Life will run from 12:45 to 3 p.m. for Girl Scout Cadettes, Seniors and Ambassadors, grades six through 12, where they will move through stations like a life-sized game board to become entrepreneurs for a day and make real-world decisions that sharpen their leadership and financial skills.

Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence and character, who make the world a better place.

The Girl Scout Mobile Shop will be available at both events from 9:15 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. for those in need of uniform pieces and merchandise.

The registration deadline for both events is November 25. Girl Scouts can register for their program-level event on the GSCP2P event calendar and find more events across the council at https://www.girlscoutsp2p.org/en/discover/activities/event- calendar.html

Community members can directly impact local girls’ success by locating their nearest cookie booth to purchase cookies beginning January 17, 2025, or donate to Cookies for a Cause to give back cookies to local first responders, U.S. military and local food banks: https://www.girlscoutsp2p.org/en/cookies/find-cookies.html

Every girl in grades K-12 is invited to become a Girl Scout at any time, and there’s still time to become a member to participate in these events and the Girl Scout Cookie Program. Go to www.BeAGirlScout.org  to learn more.

About Girl Scouts Carolinas Peaks to Piedmont: Girl Scouts Carolinas Peaks to Piedmont, a United Way agency, is one of 111 councils nationwide chartered by Girl Scouts of the USA to deliver Girl Scout program within specific geographic boundaries. The local council serves nearly 7,000 girls and 4,500 adult volunteers in 40 counties and maintains three camp properties and four service centers offering unique experiences for girls and adults. For more information on how to join, volunteer, reconnect or donate to GSCP2P, call 800- 672-2148 or visit www.girlscoutsp2p.org

We’re Girl Scouts of the USA: We Are Girl Scouts: Girl Scouts bring their dreams to life and work together to build a better world. Through programs from coast to coast, Girl Scouts of all backgrounds and abilities can be unapologetically themselves as they discover their strengths and rise to meet new challenges—whether they want to climb to the top of a tree or the top of their class, lace up their boots for a hike or advocate for climate justice or make their first best friends. Backed by trusted adult volunteers, mentors and millions of alums, Girl Scouts lead the way as they find their voices and make changes that affect the issues most important to them. To join us, volunteer, reconnect or donate, visit www.girlscouts.org