Operation Snowball began in 1977 through the efforts of several Rockford area youth and adults who had attended the Illinois Teenage Institute on Substance Abuse (ITI) sponsored by the Illinois Alcoholism and Drug Dependence Association (IADDA). This group saw an opportunity to develop a prevention program focused on youth leadership and empowerment, using the ITI model, and saw that this would be adaptable to local community needs.
The Rockford group held a weekend training experience using the ITI agenda as its model. From the very beginning, Operation Snowball training was planned and implemented almost entirely by youth, with the adults serving in advisory roles. And just as they envisioned it, the program picked up speed, like a snowball rolling downhill.
Operation Snowball Chapters began to develop all over the state and IADDA supported the expansion of Operation Snowball. High school age students were the target group first, but Chapters began to ask high schoolers to serve as facilitators and presenters for middle/junior high and elementary level students. Snowflake and Snowflurry were born. In 1981, with the help of IADDA, the Operation Snowball name and logo were registered as service marks.
In 1987, the Steering Committee incorporated as a not-for-profit organization affiliated with IADDA, using the corporate name: Operation Snowball, Inc. and began a process of accrediting new groups, to ensure the integrity of the program.
In Champaign County, Operation Snowball is a non-profit organization for high-school-age teens. We believe that every person has the ability to make sound decisions regarding life and behavior and that, in order to make responsible decisions, a person needs adequate information and an understanding of self, attitudes and motivations. This is why Operation Snowball meetings are designed as they are, provide a safe harbor for teens to delve into their own lives, come up with their own solutions and set their own goals.
