Girl Scouts of Tropical Florida (GSTF), which serves more than 3,000 members in its region and logistics and transportation company Ryder System Inc. created a new supply chain patch program exclusively for girls K-12 across the country.

The program is a first for the GIrl Scouts organization and is called “Girl Scout Cookies and the Supply Chain." The program aims to teach kids how supply chain management impacts how and when products arrive in stores while inspiring kids to see themselves working in the industry in the future.

A virtual event was held in early December which showed participants how the supply chains work, including the world's largest girl-run business – Girl Scout Cookies. 

Along with the Girl Scouts of Tropical Florida and Ryder System Inc., the concept and the curriculum used to teach the members was developed with the University of Tennessee’s Global Supply Chain Institute.

“Development of a new Girl Scout patch, particularly one as timely as supply chain management, is a real achievement,” said Lori Ross, Director of Girl Experience for the Girl Scouts of Tropical Florida. “This was an incredible opportunity for us to partner with Ryder and the University of Tennessee to teach girls about this exciting field, especially because we can connect it to our own supply chain, cookie sales, and distribution, which the Girl Scouts pioneered.”

In order to earn the patch, 43 girls were actively engaged in learning the journey of a Girl Scout cookie, as well as other well-known products that rely on a nationwide supply chain including Domino’s Pizza. They also heard from women in the supply chain and logistics fields on how supply chain affects everyone’s lives.

Mary Long, managing director of the Global Supply Chain Institutes’ Supply Chain Forum at UT, who has also held leadership roles with major brands including Domino’s Pizza, Pillsbury, and General Mills, worked with GSTF and Ryder to develop the curriculum.   

“Part of the curriculum strategy included young women who are top college supply chain students at UT to talk about why they chose the field,” she said.  “Videos and live interaction with these students, alumni, and veterans like myself, made the program fun and relevant for the girls.”