Girl Scout Cookie season kicks off in Brooklyn

Last year, Bay Ridge resident Ashleigh F. was named the top cookie seller in all five boroughs by the Girl Scouts of Greater New York

Girl Scout cookie selling season has begun and has already shown a big presence in Brooklyn.

On Jan. 11, over 200 Girl Scouts from across the five boroughs gathered at Barclays Center for their annual Cookie Rally.

Last year, Bay Ridge resident Ashleigh F. was named the top cookie seller in all five boroughs by the Girl Scouts of Greater New York (GSGNY). The Girl Scouts do not release the last names of their members, all of whom are minors. 

“I felt really excited because I never thought I would be first,” she told this paper after she won. “I thought I’d be second or third because the all-time seller used to sell 5,000. I felt really excited when I made the top.” She had sold 2,528 boxes of cookies to win.

She was also the top Brooklyn cookie seller for two years, and the biggest experience was mostly learning to handle the money she received and how to talk to people.

“Sometimes it’s harder than others,” she said. “It takes persistence. When someone says, ‘I don’t have cash, ‘I say, ‘We also do Venmo.’ They say, ‘I don’t want them in my house.’ Then I say, ‘You can donate them.’ Sometimes people feel bad just saying no. And if you don’t say no, I’ll just keep asking you.”

According to GSGNY, the program is the largest girl-led business in the world and helps girls develop five essential skills that set them up for success: goal setting, decision making, money management, business ethics, and people skills. 

Ashleigh’s goal in the future is to receive the Gold Award, the highest award for the Girl Scouts.

“When you reach your last four years of Girl Scouts, you have a chance to get your Gold Award, which is 80 hours of work,” she said. “It has to be sustainable when you leave Girl Scouts. It’s not just something you just give away. It’s something you have to work for.”

At the event at Barclays Center, Cookie Season 2026 started. CEO of GSGNY Shari Krull told News12 the program uses cookie sales to teach participants how to market products, manage money and interact with customers.

“The fact that our girls who are selling the cookies get to learn entrepreneurial skills, financial literacy, how to talk to people, how to manage money, how to market, how to sell — is really why we have cookie sales,” she said.

This interactive event featured cookie-themed activities, crafts and more. 

“Designed to ignite excitement and enthusiasm for the upcoming cookie season, the rally also helps Girl Scouts hone essential skills like confidence, entrepreneurship, and teamwork as they prepare for their cookie-selling journeys,” said GSGNY in a statement.

They also noted the Cookie Rally is a cornerstone of the Girl Scout Cookie Program, the largest girl-led entrepreneurial program in the world. 

In 2025, Girl Scouts from New York City sold 1.1 million boxes of cookies.

“The event empowers girls to develop essential life skills, including goal setting, decision-making, and financial literacy, all while having fun and building community,” the organization said.

Girl Scout members were excited during the kickoff and talked about their favorite parts of being a part of the group.

“[My favorite is] how they teach me safety life skills,” Girl Scout Alayna said.” We could see new people, meet them and maybe make new friends. This year, I want to send 1,000 [cookies].”