November 2021
Fall is here and that means Snowball events are in full swing! Over the last month we have loved getting the opportunity to connect with Snowball Teams at in-person events, trainings, and during the scheduled 30-minute Team calls.

We have created a survey for you that should take no longer than a couple minutes to complete. The survey is a way to gather your event dates, program needs, and how we can be a resource to you. Please submit responses by Friday, November 19.

We cannot wait to continue to showcase your prevention efforts, and student leaders!

Please click each button below to complete a short survey.
Nominations Are Now Open for
Operation Snowball Board of Directors
Why is it important to nominate?
Do you know someone who contributes greatly at your local OS? An ideal OS Board Member is one who is part of a current Operation Snowball Team, who plays an active role is decision-making, and continues to show dedication to programming. If you have someone at your local OS Team who you feel would be a fantastic fit for the OS Board, we invite you to have a conversation with them about this opportunity and if they are interested, please fill out the nomination form on their behalf. 

Open Seats
There are ten seats open for Adult Board Members, with a two-year term.
There are six seats open for Youth Advocate positions, with a one-year term.
 
Board Responsibilities
  • Attend four Board Meetings a year (one in-person at the CGTI Mid-Year Conference, and three via Zoom)
  • Actively participate on at least one committee
  • Participate in OS, Inc. efforts
  • Support OS Teams (visit events, call to check in, etc.)
 
Next Steps
The nomination deadline is November 19, please have forms filled out by 5PM. Once all forms are submitted the ballots will be released to OS Teams for voting.

All new OS Board members will be seated in January 2022.
Cebrin Goodman Teen Institute
2022 Mid-Year Conference
Registration is open for the Cebrin Goodman Teen Institute (CGTI) 2022 Mid-Year Conference that is held in collaboration with Operation Snowball, Inc.

Dates: January 14 - 16, 2022
Deadline to Register: December 10, 2021
Location: Marriott Hotel & Conference Center in Normal, IL
Registration Fee: $250/person
  • An additional fee of $125 for those who request a single room.
  • Please note we will not be assigning random roommates.
  • If you do not have a roommate, you will need to select the single room add-on option.

If you have any questions or would like to confirm your team's attendance, please contact Ashley Webb, VP of Programs, at [email protected].
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 all you have accomplished, and you should be too!
Livingston County Operation Snowfurry
They had an incredible time with 20 positive, caring, and energized 5th and 6th grade students at their Snowflurry event. They learned all about what it means to “Grow Together” and the importance of supporting each other. Congratulations on a successful event, Livingston County OS!
Lyons Township High School Snowball
Lyons Township was the first Snowball team to hold an overnight retreat since the pandemic started - INSPIRING! Their energy was contagious.
Downers Grove North High School Fall Snowball
GOOD JOB, GOOD, GOOD, GOOD JOB! Congratulations Downers Grove North OS on an incredible event. Impacting the lives of students all around you.
Downers Grove South High School Fall Snowball
Downers Grove South High School held an incredible Snowball event weekend. We’re so proud of the positive work these students and adults are making in their community.
Schumburg High School Small Group Leader Training
An incredible afternoon spent with the Schaumburg High School Operation Snowball Team. We loved helping lead training number one for your ’21-‘22 leaders, what a powerful group. Looking forward to learning and growing alongside you this year!
Homewood Flossmoor High School Small Group Leader Training
We had a blast training HF Snowball student leaders on facilitation in preparation for their weekend retreat in November. We can’t wait to hear about your successful weekend.
Amplifying Youth Voices

Youth Advocates on the OS Board of Directors have been spending the past few months working hard writing articles, creating resources, and engaging our snowball community online.

A New Youth Project: Snowballing A Purpose Podcast
Emma Murphy
Homewood, IL
As youth on the Operation Snowball Board, it is our job to come up with project ideas to educate the Operation Snowball community and spread Snowball’s message. This year’s group of youth advocates have been working on creating a podcast named Snowballing a Purpose. We hope to use this platform to further educate our community on matters that mean the most to us. We will be posting a link to a short introduction episode on the OS website by Thanksgiving.  

We wanted to create this podcast so we could have a public space to spread Operation Snowballs’ message. The podcast gives us the opportunity to sit down and have conversations with each other and share them with our national and international community. We will also be inviting different voices from local OS teams to have conversations about the topics they are passionate about.
Our first episode will feature Brent Swolsky. Brent has been a longtime member of the Snowball and CGTI family. He will be on the podcast to have a conversation with our youth advocates about post-high school plans. There are so many different topics we plan on tackling like drug and alcohol use in athletes, stress, and anxiety in students, self-care tips and tricks, and so much more. If you or someone from your Snowball Team has an idea for an episode or is interested in being interviewed on the podcast please reach out to Riley Cleary. We would love to elevate the voices and opinions of all of our Snowball teams!

We are beyond excited for the release of our podcast and to share Operation Snowballs’ message with the world. We hope that you all will listen and learn something new from our conversations with one another. Keep an eye out on social media and in your email for more announcements about Snowballing a Purpose!
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.
STAY CONNECTED WITH US!
‌
Operation Snowball, Inc.

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