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Operation Snowball, Inc. is thrilled to share an incredible milestone for the first time in more than 15 years we have officially reached 100 accredited Operation Snowball Teams for the 2025-2026 school year!
Their achievement is a testament to the dedication of our youth, adult mentors, community partners, schools, board of directors, and IABH staff who continue to believe in and champion Snowball's mission. Over the past year, OS has intentionally expanded outreach efforts, reconnecting with long-standing partners, supporting new communities interested in prevention programming, and strengthening our training and technical assistance opportunities to ensure every team feels equipped and supported.
Our team at IABH and the OS Board of Directors are energized by this historic moment and deeply grateful to everyone who made it possible. As we look to the year ahead, OS, Inc. is excited to continue empowering youth to lead, prevent substance misuse, and create lasting positive change in their schools and communities.
The OS, Inc. Accredited OS Team Portal is live and houses a wide-variety of amazing resources. Your OS Team can access all of the updated toolkits, guides, and the OS, Inc. webinar series. Keep your eyes out for the upcoming save the dates for the OS, Inc. Spring Showcase along with the OS, Inc. Annual Spring Awards Banquet.
If you need any help accessing the OS Member's Only Portal or any of the pre-recorded webinars, please reach out to our team.
We wish everyone a wonderful and safe winter break and will see you all back in January!
| | December Awareness Events | | Seasonal Affective Disorder Awareness | |
During the month of December, we want to spread awareness about Seasonal Affective Disorder (S.A.D.) otherwise known as Seasonal Depression. Seasonal depression is a type of depression that occurs regularly during certain seasons of the year. Experts have found that fall and winter are the most common seasons for individuals experiencing seasonal depression, but numerous individuals experience seasonal depression during the spring and summer. Symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder/Seasonal Depression last around four - five months out of the year.
Symptoms:
- persistent sad, anxious, or "empty" moods
- hopelessness, pessimism, irritability, frustration, or restlessness
- guilt, worthlessness, helplessness, decreased energy, fatigue, feeling slowed down
- loss of interest or pleasure, difficulty concentrating or remembering
- changes in appetite, sleep, or unplanned weight changes
- physical aches or pains
- thoughts of suicide/death and/or attempts
Fall/Winter-Specific Symptoms:
- oversleeping, overeating, or social withdrawal
Spring/Summer-Specific Symptoms:
- trouble sleeping, poor appetite, restlessness, agitation, anxiety, violence/aggressive behaviors
Who is at risk?
- Symptoms often begin in adolescence through young adulthood
- More often diagnosed in women than their male or non-binary counterparts
- More common in individuals diagnosed with depression or bipolar II disorder
Treatment Options:
- Light therapy, psychotherapy, antidepressants medications, vitamin D
Disclaimer: Operation Snowball, Inc. is not diagnosing any individuals. We simply are spreading awareness and resources for individuals who may be dealing with Seasonal Affective Disorder. Please consult a medical professional for a proper diagnosis and resources to assist with the symptoms.
John Hopkins Medicine (2025). Seasonal Affective Disorder (What is seasonal affective disorder?). https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/seasonal-affective-disorder
Mayo Clinic (2024). Seasonal Affective Disorder (S.A.D.). https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/seasonal-affective-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20364651
National Institute on Mental Health (2025). Seasonal Affective Disorder. https://www.nimh.gov/health/publications/seasonal-affective-disorder
SAMHSA (2025). Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). https://www.samhsa.gov/mental-health/what-is-mental-health/conditions/seasonal-affective-disorder
| | Lyons Township hosted their 2025 Fall Snowball Retreat at Camp MacLean and the participants were able to soak up plenty of OS energizers, family-style meal times, and lots of room for growth in uncomfortable situations. Lyons OS had a great retreat and with over 220 attendees they were able to step out of their comfort zones and take risks in a healthy way, knowing that their friends had their backs if they didn't succeed. | | District 230 came together with over 110 individuals for their 2025 Fall Snowball retreat, the event was a complete success for the leaders and attendees! While they "reached for the stars", they took part in loads of team-building exercises, high rope activities, and group activities that put their cognitive skills to the test. | Hinsdale Central & South OS | | Hinsdale Central and Hinsdale South (district 86) hosted their 2025 Fall OS retreat at Camp Manitoqua, where students put their problem-solving, communication, and team-work to the test in a variety of outdoor activities. The weather was perfect for the district-wide retreat while students and adults pushed themselves to take healthy risks through mentally and physically exhausting situations! | | Stevenson OS held their 2025 Fall Retreat where they hosted over 160 individuals, which is their largest attendance number in several years. Attendees at the Stevenson retreat shared plenty of smiles, memories, energy, and laughter that made the retreat one that will be remembered forever. The Teen Leaders and Teen Directors made sure to give their participants a warm welcome despite the chilly weather and kicked off the weekend in the best ways possible. | | Glenbrook North had their 2025 Fall retreat and brought the energy with their guest speaker, Lucca Petrucci. Attendees were encouraged to explore their own self-worth, accept each piece of themselves, and to celebrate the things that make everyone different. From exploring different aspects of themselves, to complimenting those that helped make the retreat a positive experience, and holding each other accountable Glenbrook North students had a fantastic retreat. | | Fairview South Elementary OS | | Fairview South Elementary OS brought the energy at their event on their last day before Thanksgiving break! They got to experience Imagination Theater's skits, dive into team-building activities, and several small group rotations to debrief their activities. It was a fun-filled day that empower students at Fairview to push out of their comfort zones and work on becoming the best versions of themselves they can be. | | Wheeling OS took advantage of the OS, Inc. Facilitation training ahead of their 2025 Fall Event. Their student leaders came ready to learn, push themselves, and prepare for their event. Their Fall Snowball went amazingly with presentations from M&P and Lucca Petrucci, the attendees got to experience safe risk-taking opportunities. It was a great day that was a celebration of the amazing work their Teen Leaders and Adult Directors put into making sure the day was a success for everyone in attendance. | | OS Board of Directors Youth Advocate Spotlight | | |
Lila Gallinson from Glenbrook North OS shares her experience after wrapping up her last OS retreat:
"Greetings from Camp Edwards!
During a fun fall weekend in November, Glenbrook North Snowball had our annual retreat! The weekend was filled with fun activities, guest speakers and bonding experiences.
We started the retreat late Thursday night, getting settled into our cabins, introducing our speaker Lucca Petrucci and meeting our small groups for the first time! We woke up early Friday morning for a full day: workshops like cookie decorating or sports, learning about others in our small groups, more lessons with Lucca and ending the day with our annual Cross the Line activity. We were lucky to have Lucca for both nights and would 100% recommend him to speak to any other chapter. We wrapped up our retreat on Saturday with Touched By an Angel (going around and tapping someone who made an impact on you), nature walks exploring the camp and then said goodbye to Snowball 2025!
This year, we reached a record amount of participants post-pandemic; Participants across all grades got to enjoy Snowball and learn more about others and themselves! Both the leaders and directors showed an incredible initiative, inspiring many others to want to seek leadership positions in the future. Completing my 4th and final year, I am so grateful for the opportunity to be a part of a supportive community where I could be myself. Glenbrook North was a true example of how teachers, students and staff can all come together to learn about others’ experiences and create a supportive environment! I hope other chapters can learn from us and that our program continues to grow!!
As I will soon be leaving Glenbrook North Snowball and the Board of Directors as a Youth Advocate, I hope others will take away the lesson that Operation Snowball is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and truly changed my high school experience for the better, full of new friends and leadership positions. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and join a community!"
| | Accredited OS Team Portal is Live for All Your Trainings and Resources | | |
OS, Inc. wants to remind you about the Accredited OS Team's Only Portal, this portal is available to any OS Team and/or any individual working with an accredited OS Team for the 2025-2026 school year.
What does the portal include?
- OS, Inc. toolkits and guides
- OS Energizer videos
- Upcoming dates for OS, Inc. events, OS Team events, and awareness events
- OS logos for Team use (printed materials, shirts, etc.)
- Sample social media posts
- and so much more...
How do I login?
- Go to the OS, Inc. website
- Click the button in the top right corner (Accredited Team Login)
- Type in the password (OperationSnowball2025)
- Enjoy all the amazing resources
If you have any issues or questions regarding the OS Team Portal, please reach out to Michaela Price, michaela@ilabh.org!
| | OS, Inc. On-Demand Virtual Trainings | | |
Available all school year
FREE to any OS Team, adult, or student
Located in the OS Member Portal on our Website
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The OS, Inc. 2025-2026 Webinar Series is officially live and available for ALL OS Teams to take advantage of through July 1st, 2026, at that time all registrations will be closed and webinars will no longer be available. The webinar series contains 11 different pre-recorded videos for OS Teams to utilize during Team meetings, for individual growth, prevention events, and much more!
Our hope is that OS Teams and Individuals use these webinars to increase their knowledge about the variety of topics that are covered in these webinars. This webinar series was created with the intention of providing OS Teams more education, resources, and connections to continue improving the programming and missions of OS!
Who can register? Any accredited OS Team or any student/adult from a currently accredited OS Team!
Need a Certificate of Completion? After watching your selected webinar(s) you will be asked to fill out an evaluation of the session and overall experience. Once that is completed you will receive your certificate of completion!
| | Save the Date for CGTI 2026! | | |
The Cebrin Goodman Teen Institute (CGTI) is slated for July 12-16, 2026 at Eastern Illinois University, and we want to see YOU there! The CGTI summer camp is open to middle school and high school students (incoming grades 7th-12th for the 2026-2027 school year) who are creating positive change, promoting substance use and mental health prevention and developing leadership skills.
At CGTI, participants will attend keynotes and workshops, take part in small and large group team building with peers from across the state, focus on planning, and enhancing, the yearly change they're creating at the local level in action team meetings. CGTI is a family of like-minded change makers with the passion and dedication to permanently impact our communities and beyond!
Applications will open in March and will start with early bird pricing, before increasing to standard in May. Scholarships will be available for first time attendees and new OS Teams.
| Focus Youth Gambling Prevention | | |
Students that attended Wheeling's 2025 Snowball event were able to participate in Focus Youth Gambling Prevention's "Gift Responsibly" campaign. Students learned about the risks of underage gambling, the rates of co-occurring gambling problems, mental health crisis, and substance use disorders in teens throughout the state of Illinois.
The students left the event with tie-blankets that they created, serving as a reminder of their time at Snowball along with safe and healthy gift alternatives for the holiday season. If your OS Team or school is looking for a fun and interactive workshop that teaches students prevention education while giving them a positive environment and creative outlet, please contact our team.
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Generation Lead has three youth-focused prevention commercials that schools and community partners can request to elevate their digital media outreach. These high-quality videos bring our campaign messaging to life and are designed to resonate with students, families, and community members.
These commercials are flexible and easy to integrate into your existing communication channels. They can be played during morning announcements, sports broadcasts or jumbotrons, podcasts, social media posts, lunchroom video loops, student leadership trainings, or any other virtual or digital space within your school and organization.
All of the commercials were played over the last month during the IHSA state tournament for volleyball and football on the NFHS Network, local media channels, and in the arena and stadium.
We offer multiple video formats and time lengths to help you tailor the message to your audience and platform.
In addition to digital content, Generation Lead offers free printed campaign material, including posters, talking kits, stickers, and banners, that will be delivered directly to you within a week of submitting your request.
To review and request the digital media or print materials, simply click the link below. We're excited to help you bring Generation Lead's statewide campaign to your Snowball team!
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MISSION STATEMENT: Operation Snowball is an international youth program that empowers student leaders through prevention education, community advocacy, and leadership development to a create positive impact.
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937 South Second Street | Springfield, IL 62704
217.528.7335 ext. 27
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