December 2021
The holidays are approaching and we are feeling the Snowball warm fuzzies! This has been a great semester across our communities, and we are so thankful to have seen our youth and adults creating change together in their schools and organizations back in-person. We are so proud of what our teams have accomplished thus far and we know the second semester will be just as fantastic.

We are looking forward to a bright, exciting 2022 here at Operation Snowball! We are kicking 2022 off with the CGTI Mid-Year Conference January 14-16, which OS co-sponsors. We have so many amazing OS teams joining us this year and we are thrilled to have such a kick off event!!

We hope you'll join us for our upcoming trainings, which you can find in our new catalog below, and we are excited to continue watching everyone achieve their goals and make an impact with your events.

We are wishing you all a warm, happy and healthy holiday season filled with laughs and lots of love!

Operation Snowball, Inc. Team
Ashley & Riley
OS Board of Director Elections
Every accredited Operation Snowball, Inc. Team was sent an email yesterday to their direct contact and their secondary contact (if listed) with information about this year's Board of Director ballots. Elections are taking place now and ballots are due Friday, December 15 at 5:00PM. It is each Team's duty and responsibility to nominate and vote for the OS Board of Directors.

As a reminder, individual members do not vote, however, they are always welcome to submit a nomination or serve on the OS Board.
Operation Snowball Trainings
Our 2022 spring training catalog is finally here! You can click the link below to find the titles, descriptions and registrations for our upcoming trainings for the 2022 spring semester. These trainings are free and open to all. Please forward these on to your students and OS directors.
January Trainings
January 4
11:30AM to 12:00PM CST
Mindfulness Techniques - Weekly Wellness Lunch Break
Virtual

Every Tuesday during the months of January and February we will hold a 30 minute session via zoom, to spend time together increasing our self-care toolkit and to serve as a good reminder to re-center ourselves.
January 11
Yoga - Weekly Wellness Lunch Break
11:30AM to 12:00PM CST
Virtual

Every Tuesday during the months of January and February we will hold a 30 minute session via zoom, to spend time together increasing our self-care toolkit and to serve as a good reminder to re-center ourselves.
January 18
11:30AM to 12:00PM CST
Reboot, Refresh, Restore - Weekly Wellness Lunch Break
Virtual

Every Tuesday during the months of January and February we will hold a 30 minute session via zoom, to spend time together increasing our self-care toolkit and to serve as a good reminder to re-center ourselves.
January 19
12:00 - 3:00PM CST
Game On Snowball Showcase!
NIU Naperville - 1120 E Diehl Rd. Naperville, IL

Join Operation Snowball, Inc. for this fast paced, hands on, and tool-filled INTERACTIVE, FUN, and MUSIC-FILLED training experience! Don’t miss this opportunity to learn more than TWENTY new activities, games, apps, and resources that you can put into immediate use with your Snowball Team. Bring your competitive energy and imaginative spirit - because this GAME ON ShowCase will be the BEST way to kick off the new year!
January 25
11:30AM to 12:00PM CST
Journaling - Weekly Wellness Lunch Break
Virtual

Every Tuesday during the months of January and February we will hold a 30 minute session via zoom, to spend time together increasing our self-care toolkit and to serve as a good reminder to re-center ourselves.
Give Responsibly Campaign
December Kick Started Focus' Gift Responsibly Campaign!
 
Focus is a youth prevention program of IABH, the same Association that OS and CGTI are housed out of.

The Gift Responsibly Campaign raises awareness on the risks of underage gambling and educates communities on the impact of buying lottery tickets for youth. For this campaign, groups participate in fun activities while beginning the conversation of the dangers of lottery products as gifts. These activities include hot chocolate kit making and cookie decorating.

  • 40-68% of youth gamble with family members
  • The earlier youth are exposed to gambling the more likely they are to develop a gambling problem later in life
  • Lottery products are usually gifted to youth due to lack of awareness by a well-meaning adult
  • Research has shown that lottery scratch-off tickets have the possibility of being a gateway to other gambling activities

Contact Prevention Program Coordinator, Sarah Martin for more information or to learn more about other fun programming opportunities!
OS Team Event Highlights
We are so thankful to all the Snowball Teams who have invited Operation Snowball, Inc. to lead trainings, and attend their event over the last month. We're proud of your accomplishments and you should be too!
Homewood Flossmoor High School Snowball
Join us in giving HF a huge shoutout for a successful Snowball. They held a modified event for safety that included two full days of programming, along busing students to the Camp and back to the High School each day. You would have never been able to tell it wasn't their first weekend event with this schedule. Kudos!
Glenbrook North Snowball
Glenbrook North High School joined along with holding a new, modified schedule different than they are used to. The adaptability these leaders have is unimaginable. We are so proud of all of the hard work you put into holding a successful event!
Amplifying Youth Voices

Youth Advocates on the OS Board of Directors write articles, create resources, and engage our snowball community online as part of their role.
A Holiday Reminder
Sam Miles
Naperville, IL
With holidays approaching, more people are coming together as families and friends. For most, this is a time of joy and celebration, however for some, the holidays are reminders of not being accepted, struggling with mental health, and loneliness. 

Teens are experiencing new things every day with the continuing of the pandemic, which has caused new traditions and plans for the holidays. Many people may be seeing family they haven’t seen in two or more years; The pandemic has shaped everyone to change in many ways, some people may be completely different from 2 years ago. This shift will affect how people look forward to the holidays. People who are more comfortable and confident in themselves can be brought down by family who want to see the person they remember from a few years ago.
This is definitely a deterrent for people wanting to see family, and a simple fix is to remind yourself that people change all the time; it will take time to get used to but it’ll be okay. Many LGBTQ+ youth treat the holidays as a chore, having to pretend to be someone they aren’t. Having the dread of having to be someone that people expect you to be while simultaneously having your own identity ignored. This can be very draining for anyone, and it tears down social and mental confidence. For people who don’t have a choice in attending family events, a reminder that they are loved and appreciated, is important regardless of what others tell them. 

Everyone is loved in this world, although the holidays can be tough when there isn’t someone to celebrate with. This year there will be people celebrating by themselves. It's difficult to feel as excited when it’s just one person spending the holiday alone. You are kind, and sharing that kindness with someone this year can make someone’s whole holiday better. Just wishing people a happy holiday or bringing a plate of food to a neighbor is good, the smallest gesture means the most. 

Whether it be helping someone feel more accepted, or bringing people together safely, all helps to make people feel more included this holiday. Spreading love and kindness is the best gift.
We Want to Hear From You!
Operation Snowball, Inc. wants to continue to highlight OS Teams each month in our newsletter. Please continue to share with us the amazing work that you are doing in your schools and communities.

This may mean sharing photos of your events or weekly meetings, graphics and videos your group has created for your prevention programming, maybe it is a write-up from one of your students reflecting on a project you all completed. In other words, we want to celebrate YOU!

Be proud of all you have accomplished!
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.

937 South Second Street | Springfield, IL 62704
217.528.7335 ext. 27