It's the Brian Lairn Show on WNYC. I'm Bridget Bergen, filling in for Brian today.

We're going to end today's show with a celebration of the start of everyone's favorite season, not spring, which according to some

groundhogs is still six weeks away. It's Girl Scout cookie season. Joining me now to talk all about

the Girl Scout program and its beloved cookies is Karen Lungard, interim CEO of the Girl Scouts of

Greater New York. She'll also tell us about a very special troop local to New York City

with a unique mission. And we'll give you info about how to get some cookies from them if you're

moved by their cause. Karen, welcome to WNYC.

Hi. Thank you. Thank you so much for having me.

And listeners, were you a Girl Scout growing up? What lasting impact did participating in the Girl Scouts program have on you as you grew up? Do you have any memories of selling cookies or any badges or just making friends? Is your child currently a Girl Scout? Now is your opportunity to shout out their troop? Do you have a favorite Girl Scout cookie or memories to go along with it?

Give us a call with your Girl Scout Stories at 212-433 W-N-YC. That's 212-433-9-6-9-2.

I'm sure it's been a long time since many of our listeners were Girl Scouts. Before we get into cookies, Karen, what do Girl Scouts do nowadays?

What kind of programming is offered to Scouts?

And how has it evolved since you first joined as a kid?

Yeah, that's a true question.

So we are focused on championing girl ambition, whatever they want to do and achieve. We want to provide them

with the tools and confidence to go for it. And we are looking at what are what are Girl Scouts

going to need when they start entering their careers, when they're entering adulthood. What are

those things that are going to need in the future? And so we focus on four major program focal areas.

The first is STEM, science, technology, engineering, and math.

The next is environmental leadership.

We want to make sure that our girls understand the natural world and their impact on it.

We have a beautiful camp in upstate New York, Camp Kaufman, that's 425 acres, where our Girl Scouts can have that access to green space and understand their connections in the natural world.

...