Glacier National Park was reimagined using nearly 1,000 Cookie Boxes, including Thin Mint® Boxes laser-cut into tiny trees with the help of HKS Architects.

Julie Jones (far right), a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, works with her team of Girl Scouts to build a Yellowstone National Park structure.

Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas gathered at Galleria Dallas for the Cookie Box Creations design contest, where they put weeks of preparation and planning into action.

Give a girl the right toys, and she may play for a day. Give her the tools to build national parks from cookie boxes and inspire her to design her future.

DALLAS, TEXAS, UNITED STATES, February 27, 2023 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Cookie Box Creations returned this year after a three-year hiatus due to the pandemic, backed by Amazon, the presenting sponsor of the Girl Scout Leadership Institute (GSLI). This past Sunday, six teams of Girl Scouts in grades 6-12 were partnered with local architects and engineers for a design contest that transformed cookie boxes into National Park-themed structures.

The creations are on display at the Galleria Dallas through March 26, allowing visitors to experience six national landmarks from across the United States without leaving their local community. The display is part of a month-long partnership with the Galleria that aims to highlight the historical accomplishments of Girl Scouting and the ingenuity of Girl Scout programming today.

The Cookie Box Creations program, and others like it, demonstrates the Girl Scouts' ability to take traditional learning and pivot to prioritize hands-on learning experiences. Based on reports from previous years, the program has had an incredible impact. Girls who have participated said they developed a stronger sense of self and felt they could use what they learned through the program on other projects. On average, 97% of girls surveyed felt their problem-solving skills improved and felt more empowered to make a difference in the world.

"If you believe in yourself and are willing to work hard, you can achieve anything," said Sandra McNeil, Operations Director for Amazon's FTW6. “We’re proud to sponsor a program that empowers young women to explore roles within STEM fields, and that fosters mentorships with organizations like Amazon to promote and support women in STEM."

The participating mentor companies and their assigned parks include:
• HKS, Glacier National Park
• ASCE, Yellowstone National Park
• VLK Architects, Cuyahoga National Park
• Kimley-Horn, Great Smokey Mountains National Park
• JL Paving, Saguaro National Park
• Cisco, Mammoth Cave National Park

The program enables girls to develop new skills that are applicable and extend beyond those needed to be successful in STEM fields, including critical thinking, creativity, curiosity, and decision-making. Regardless of their future career path, these skill sets go a long way toward preparing them to be innovative leaders.

"We believe in providing girls a safe space that promotes confidence-building, career exploration, and collaboration with like-minded peers and mentors,” said Jennifer Bartkowski, CEO of Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas. "Cookie Box Creations is a fun way for Girl Scouts to play, try, fail, and try again, all while they get excited about STEM.”

A panel of experts will judge the works based on creativity in design, engineering difficulty, best use of color and materials, and adherence to the rules, regulations, and this year's theme, Discover America. Visitors can also vote for their favorite works using QR codes on the signage describing each design. Winners will be announced at the conclusion of the exhibit.

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We Are Girl Scouts
Girl Scouts bring their dreams to life and work together to build a better world. Through programs across 32 counties, 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 to 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. Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas serves nearly 20,000 girls and 8,000 adult volunteers. In 2018, Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas opened the STEM Center of Excellence, a 92-acre state-of-the-art camp just outside of Dallas where girls can experience programs in astronomy, robotics, coding, computer science, and more. To join us, volunteer, reconnect, donate, or learn more, visit www.gsnetx.org or call 972-349-2400.

About Galleria Dallas
Galleria Dallas is an iconic shopping center with a unique collection of more than 200 retailers, restaurants and experiences including Nordstrom, Macy’s, the world’s only GAP, Banana Republic and Old Navy combo anchor, a market-exclusive American Girl, the Westin Galleria Dallas Hotel and the signature Galleria Ice Skating Center. Welcoming more than 12 million visitors annually, only Galleria Dallas delivers the consummate Dallas shopping experience. Visit www.galleriadallas.com for hours and to learn more about the shopping center. Galleria Dallas is managed by Trademark Property Group, Inc. Galleria Dallas, 13350 Dallas Parkway, Dallas, Texas, 75240.

Stephanie Hijazi
Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas
+1 469-994-1629
email us here