Operation Snowball, the teen-led weekend retreat that informs students on drug and alcohol misuse, was held on Oct. 29-30 at Camp Manitoqua in Frankfort, Illinois. The retreat had 81 participants from high schools across District 203 and 204. 

Snowball happens in the fall and in the spring, and it’s not only for teenagers—parents are welcome too. This year’s cost was a little over $100 per person. 360 Youth Services, an organization that offers substance use prevention education, counseling and housing, has helped to host Operation Snowball since 1985.  

 “Originally it was advertised as an anti-drug event, but truly it is so much more than that,” said Diego Jimenez, a Snowball teen leader.

On the first day of the event, participants arrive at Camp Manitoqua and unpack. Teenagers share cabins with one-another. Then, students are told the rules of the camp and get divided into groups. 

“This year, small groups consisted of 5-6 people,” Jimenez said. 

This was Jimenez’s second time participating in the event. 

“Usually we build up the activities,” Jimenez said. “No participant is forced to share anything they don’t want to, or do something that makes them feel uncomfortable.”

Operation Snowball is all about making friends and building connections. Students can meet a lot of kids they’ve never seen before or connect with students that always felt like hallway strangers in the school.

“I had a small group of people that I ran with,” Jimenez said. “And I could not have anticipated the struggles that they’ve been through or the people that they really were.

Snowball’s adult and teen leaders go through over six weeks of training, where they gain leadership skills and learn how to ask open-ended questions and interact with others. 

“Trainings are mostly about facilitating conversations and being open,” Jimenez said. “They’re also about handling other human beings while staying respectful and considerate,” “It can be hard to have a conducive conversation with a teenager while talking about things such as suicide, etc. That’s why we get trained on how to do it best.” 

In order to apply for being a leader, participating in the event at least once before isn’t required, but it’s highly encouraged. Teenagers that are interested in becoming a leader should email 360 Youth Services for more details.

“One of our focuses is building connections,” Snowball manager Kate Keir said. “So a person’s desire to lead with kindness is what we are looking for in a youth leader. Another thing would be accepting themselves, and knowing both their strengths and weaknesses. Because if you can identify your weaknesses, you’re closer to growing.”

Keir said that this year’s Operation Snowball theme was “We are limitless.” They were emphasizing things that people consider being in the way of their growth, things that limit them. And then they were helping teens to understand that it’s possible to break through, and that, truly, there should be nothing to stop them. 

“A student who has never done a snowball before should join us for a weekend to take a healthy risk,” Keir said. “So many times in life we have to make choices that can affect our lives a lot. Snowball is one of those that won’t have a negative impact no matter what. So you should try it out at least once to know what it’s about.”