I have a feeling we’re not in Naperville anymore, Toto. Stepping off the bus, what one first notices about Camp Henry Horner is that it is absolutely surrounded by woods.

Operation Snowball is a program aiming to help high school students in navigating through their daily lives. The three-day weekend retreat run by 360 Youth Services is peppered with several workshops, large group meetings, and skits.

“At first I was worried about what it was, but after I went for the first time, I really loved it and it was an experience that I feel really did change me,” junior Stacia Bohnert said. While snowball has a reputation for discouraging drug and alcohol use, the program addresses many more issues.

“Sometimes it’s portrayed wrongly as this place where people need help or therapy, but that’s not only what it’s about,” Bohnert said. Among other things, the retreat addresses bullying, death, divorce, sexuality, and mental health through teaching healthy coping skills, lifestyle changes, stress management, and general positivity.

For most, the experience is an eye-opening one, with several students who return regularly to relive the positivity. The program is open to all District 203 and 204 high school students twice a year. Students interested in attending in April or May can pick up a packet in their class house. Registration is open until Friday, March 14.

By Madeline White