Dell and Visa team up with Girl Scouts of the USA to enhance digital and entrepreneurial skill-building platform for girls and cookie buyers

NEW YORK, Sept. 21, 2015 — (PRNewswire) — Today, Dell, Visa, and Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) announced a collaboration that will support Digital Cookie 2.0, a fun, safe, and interactive platform enabling girls to sell cookies to consumers through digital technology. Designed to teach online and entrepreneurial know-how, Digital Cookie 2.0 encourages girls to learn vital twenty-first-century business and technology skills. Dell and Visa are providing hundreds of thousands of girls access to Digital Cookie, as well as the opportunity to take their cookie business to the next level and be set up for future success in the digital world.

The national Digital Cookie platform launched in 2014 as a fun and educational tool that helps girls strengthen and expand the way they learn the Girl Scout Cookie Program's essential 5 Skills of goal setting, decision making, money management, people skills, and business ethics. Depending on their market area, some girls will invite customers via email to purchase from their personalized cookie websites, while others will take in-person orders using mobile devices. Starting in December 2015, in support of this program, Dell and Visa will provide Girl Scouts across the country with the opportunity to explore and learn even more from Digital Cookie 2.0 through technology and hardware enhancements.

"At Girl Scouts, we are constantly looking to provide girls with unique experiences and future-focused programs that teach them not only how to lead, but how to succeed in the industries of tomorrow," said Anna Maria Chávez, CEO of Girl Scouts of the USA. "Dell and Visa are global companies that celebrate innovation, and we are so excited to work with them to increase girls' access to digital education through Digital Cookie 2.0."

As a long-standing contributor to Girl Scouts, Dell has not only provided charitable dollars to enhance Girl Scout science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) programs and Digital Cookie, it is also donating tablets to Girl Scout troops in underserved communities so more girls can participate in the Girl Scout Cookie Program. Through its efforts, Dell will enable hundreds of girls across participating Girl Scout councils to gain access to vital business skills that are needed in a rapidly evolving marketplace.

"Entrepreneurs and small businesses are the engines of our global economy," said Trisa Thompson, chief responsibility officer at Dell. "It is in all of our best interests to nurture the entrepreneurial spirit from a young age and support the digital literacy skills required to thrive in a connected world. By supporting Girl Scouts' Digital Cookie program, we help girls expand their existing cookie businesses and prepare them to be future female business leaders."

Like Girl Scouts, Visa is focusing on a digital approach with innovative payment products like Visa Checkout, which makes buying and selling in the online world fast and easy. With Visa Checkout, Girl Scout Cookie customers will have an easy and secure way to buy their favorite cookies online as they continue to support local girls and Girl Scout councils. Through the collaboration, Visa is also helping empower girls participating in Digital Cookie 2.0 to succeed in a digital world through training resources, education workshops, and mentorship programs specific to data analytics, social media, and marketing.

"We are thrilled to collaborate with Girl Scouts to empower girls to succeed in today's digital world," said Ellen Richey, vice chairman of risk and public policy at Visa and current member of the Girl Scouts of Northern California Board of Directors. "We are very pleased to provide the girls with mentorships and tools to help them navigate the digital commerce environment and develop sales skills that work, both at the cookie booth and online."

Details about Dell and Visa's contributions, Digital Cookie 2.0, and results of Digital Cookie 1.0 will be reported in December of this year. To learn more about Girl Scouts, visit www.girlscouts.org/join.  You can also read more details on how Digital Cookie has been made possible by Dell and Visa Checkout.

We're Girl Scouts of the USA
We're 2.8 million strong—2 million girls and 800,000 adults who believe girls can change the world. It began over 100 years ago with one woman, Girl Scouts' founder Juliette Gordon "Daisy" Low, who believed in the power of every girl. She organized the first Girl Scout troop on March 12, 1912, in Savannah, Georgia, and every year since, we've made her vision a reality, helping girls discover their strengths, passions, and talents. Today we continue the Girl Scout mission of building girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place. We're the preeminent leadership development organization for girls. And with programs for girls from coast to coast and across the globe, Girl Scouts offers every girl a chance to do something amazing. To volunteer, reconnect, donate, or join, visit  www.girlscouts.org or www.girlscouts.org/NYWOD. 

About Dell
Dell Inc. listens to customers and delivers innovative technology and services that give them the power to do more. The company seeks to apply their expertise and technology in underserved communities to help 3 million youth directly and support 10 million people indirectly to grow and thrive by 2020. For more information, visit  www.dell.com/communities.

About Visa Inc.
Visa Inc. (NYSE: V) is a global payments technology company that connects consumers, businesses, financial institutions, and governments in more than 200 countries and territories to fast, secure and reliable electronic payments. We operate one of the world's most advanced processing networks — VisaNet — that is capable of handling more than 65,000 transaction messages a second, with fraud protection for consumers and assured payment for merchants. Visa is not a bank and does not issue cards, extend credit or set rates and fees for consumers. Visa's innovations, however, enable its financial institution customers to offer consumers more choices: pay now with debit, ahead of time with prepaid or later with credit products.  For more information, visit usa.visa.com/about-visa, www.visacorporate.tumblr.com and @VisaNews.

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SOURCE Girl Scouts of the USA

Contact:

Girl Scouts of the USA Visa Inc. Dell Girl Scouts of the USA Press Room, 212-852-8525 Email Contact Carly Tatum, 512-728-1236 Email Contact Sheerin Salimi Email Contact 415-601-1583 Web: http://www.girlscouts.org