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Centered in a community nonprofit bakery, Cookie Cart builds better lives for youth by providing lasting and meaningful work, life and leadership skills. 
In This Issue
Events
February's Rising Stars
In the Bakery and Out in the Community
What's New in 2012
Cookie Cart Events
February 12
St. Bartholomew's Ministry Fair


February 20
Cookie Sale @ IDS Center


MARCH
Now Hiring Cookie Cart youth employees


March 2
Cookie Sale @ General Mills


 

Meet February's Rising Stars
Keith & Jericka

Cookie Cart chooses two youth employees each month as our Rising Stars.  Our program staff  look for a positive attitude, mindfulness of adult staff and youth peers, strong attendance to scheduled shifts, and demonstration of initiative and willingness to help others.

 

Click here to read Keith's Rising Star Profile.    

Click here to read Jericka's Rising Star Profile.  
 

Valentine's Cookies

To show a little extra love this Valentine's day, Cookie Cart is whipping up some sweetness for you or your Valentine! The hand decorated cookies made by our youth employees and are ready to be delivered to your special someone with a message enclosed. All you have to do is place the order. $16 per dozen

NCRC
Cookie Cart's first 2012 session of National Career Readiness Certificate training begins next week. Twelve youth employees will prepare for the examination, which tests reading for comprehension, applied math and locating information. This year, the NCRC classes will be led primarily by volunteers and we are thrilled to be working with Minneapolis Rotoract. They have formed a group of nine young professionals who will lead weekly classes to prepare Cookie Cart teens for the exam over the course of the next eight weeks.

We especially want to thank Drops Fill Buckets for all their support of this program including the development of the volunteer training materials.
 
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February Newsletter 

2012


In the Community
Cookie Cart visits Dairy Queen Headquarters  

Recently, Cookie Cart youth employees visited the Dairy Queen headquarters in Edina to explore the different careers in their corporate offices.  During the visit, youth employees had the opportunity to hear from Dairy Queen President and CEO, John Gainor.  There was some time for questions, and Cookie Cart's February Rising Star Keith asked "Can you describe your career path to becoming CEO of Dairy Queen?" At Cookie Cart, we're working hard to create opportunities for youth employees to expand world views and gain understanding of the possibilities available to them.

 

The visit to Dairy Queen had some really fun elements too! Youth employees toured the food labs where they learned about the importance of product consistency, tested new DQ products and studied the science behind food production. They even competed in an "Iron Chef"-like competition, developing a new blizzard flavor and name which was later judged by senior executives at Dairy Queen.

Dairy Queen visit with CEO John Gainor 
Cookie Cart visit with CEO John Gainor 

A special thanks to Cookie Cart board member, Dr. Bill Barrier, VP of Research and Development for Dairy Queen and Sara Will in  Community Relations for coordinating such an amazing day and for all the support Cookie Cart receives from Dairy Queen!
DQ logo  

 

Women Empowering Young Women 

At a recent event designed to inspire female members of Cookie Cart's youth staff, Cookie Cart board members came together at the Women's Club of Minneapolis with friends and colleagues to support the mission of Cookie Cart:  to help build better lives for young people through lasting and meaningful work, life and leadership skills.  Women from the corporate and nonprofit communities came together to meet some of Cookie Cart's young women, hear their story of employment and career exploration while at Cookie Cart and to offer advice and guidance as they make decisions about their next steps.   

 

Naomi and Sarah, who spoke at the event, said they were nervous at first, but the leadership skills they've learned at Cookie Cart prepared them to be in front of a group.  You can watch a video of their remarks on YouTube. 

Naomi and Sarah,
Youth speakers at the Women Empowering Young Women event

 

The event raised over $9,000 for Cookie Cart's programs, which will be matched by women of the Cookie Cart board.  Thank you to all who attended and contributed to the success of the event, especially hosts Christie Grandbois, Rochelle Gunn, Anne Johnson, Jessica Lukensow, Mary Kloehn and Susan MacHolda!

What's New in 2012?
Cookie Cart is taking it's programs to a whole new level this year, focusing on youth leadership and spreading our mission through cookies. 

Youth Leadership  
Cookie Cart's youth employees are natural leaders. For a long time we've heard from you about what great young people we have working at Cookie Cart.  We know that having a job helps them plan and prepare for success in whatever comes next in life - high school, college and careers.  Now, we are formalizing opportunities to build valuable leadership skills both in the workplace and in the community.  Youth employees will help develop and evaluate programs through committee work, promote Cookie Cart at community events, and assist in the training of their peers. 

  

Telling Our Story With Cookies  

Everyone knows that Cookie Cart has amazing cookies. Most people understand that young people produce these delicious treats. The average cookie consumer, however, does not realize that Cookie Cart is the leading experienced based youth employment training program in the Twin Cities. This year we aim to change that.

 

Throughout 2012 we will identify and roll out new ways that cookies are used as a means for spreading the mission of Cookie Cart though packaging, labels, wrappers and displays.

 

We would love to hear your ideas. How would you use bakery boxes, stickers and display cases to tell the Cookie Cart story? Click here to share your most creative ideas.  

Thanks for your ongoing support for Cookie Cart. 

We couldn't do it without you!


Sincerely,

 

Matt, Ann, Katie, Meggie, Taronda, Leah, Anna and Marit and Cookie Cart youth employees    

 

You can support Cookie Cart's youth employment programming by volunteering or through a financial gift.  Learn More... 

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