CGTI 2013 will be held at Eastern Illinois University on July 21-25. Scholarships are still available, but going very quickly! They are awarded on a first come, first served basis, and to request a scholarship, check the appropriate box on the application.

To apply online, go to:

Adult Staff:  www.cgtistaff.eventbrite.com 

Mentors: www.cgtimentors.eventbrite.com 

Youth Staff:   www.youthstaff.eventbrite.com 

Participants & Peers with Advanced Leadership Skills (PALS):  www.cgtiteens.eventbrite.com   

Deadlines to apply are:

The deadline for all leadership team positions (Conference Advisors, Headquarters, Activity Coordinators, and Care Team), PALS advisors, Youth Staff advisor, and Middle School advisors has passed, but we have extended the deadline for Co-Facilitator and Youth Staff to May 17th. The deadline for participant and PALS applications is also May 17th.  

You can still download and submit a paper application by going to www.os-cgti.org. If you have any questions about the registration/application process, please contact CJ at the IADDA office at 217.528.7335 extension 12.  

CGTI Youth Staff Cost Reduced!

A special note of thanks goes out to Chris Remele, whose efforts made it possible to reduce the cost for Youth Staff from $309 to $50 this year! Chris was able to get a donation for his time dedicated to CGTI through the Gap Volunteers Program. He wanted this contribution to benefit Youth Staff because "they have so much responsibility this will be a great way to thank them for their talent and dedication".  

Chris' contribution was matched with support from the Cebrin Goodman Center to reduce the cost Youth Staff will pay. Everyone should extend a special thanks to Chris and the Cebrin Goodman Center for their support!

Save The Date: Leadership Team Retreat

The CGTI Leadership Team Retreat will be held on Friday, June 21st - Saturday, June 22nd at Eastern Illinois University. If you are accepted for a Leadership Team position (Headquarters, Activity Coordinator, Conference Advisor, or Care Team) this retreat is mandatory. With the expansion of CGTI to include 100 additional participants this year, and the inclusion of Middle School participants for the entire conference, it is critical that those on Leadership Team huddle for some advance planning and collaboration. Details will be sent to you directly if you have applied for these positions.

Call for Presenters

We are in the process of scheduling TRAX (Teens Reaching for, and Achieving Excellence) workshop presenters for CGTI 2013. The dates of the workshops are Monday, July 22nd, and Wednesday, July 24th. If you have an interest in presenting a workshop to either middle school or high school students, please contact C.J. Cavazos at  cjcavazos@iadda.org with a description of your presentation.

General Session Speakers

Please check out some of the amazing speakers we have scheduled for this year's keynote presentations!

            Julie Marie Carrier: www.juliespeaks.com 

            Scott Backovich: www.scottbackovich.com 

            John Morello: http://johnmorello.com/wordpress/ 

            Sam Glenn: http://www.samglenn.com/ 

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has scheduled another National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day which will take place on Saturday, April 27, 2013, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.  This is a great opportunity for those who missed the previous events, or who have subsequently accumulated unwanted, unused prescription drugs, to safely dispose of those medications.

In the four previous Take-Back events, DEA in conjunction with our state, local, and tribal law enforcement partners have collected more than 2 million pounds (1,018 tons) of prescription medications were removed from circulation.

The National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day aims to provide a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposal, while also educating the general public about the potential for abuse of these medications.

Shortly after DEA's first Take-Back Day event two years ago, Congress passed, and President Obama signed, the Secure and Responsible Drug Disposal Act of 2010, which amended the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), allowing DEA to develop permanent, ongoing, and responsible methods for disposal. Prior to the passage of the Disposal Act, the CSA provided no legal means for transferring possession of controlled substance medications from users to other individuals for disposal. On December 21, 2012, DEA published in the Federal Register a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for Disposal of Controlled Substances.  These regulations would implement the Secure and Responsible Drug Disposal Act of 2010 (Pub. L. 111-273) by expanding the options available to collect controlled substances from ultimate users for purposes of disposal to include: Take-Back events, mail-back programs, and collection receptacle locations. However, until these regulations become permanent, DEA will continue to hold Take-Back Days.  

In an effort to recognize all of the hard work and dedication that is happening in the local chapters and communities with the Operation Snowball program, Operation Snowball, Inc. and the Board of Directors are accepting nominations for awards  .

This award program recognizes an outstanding youth and adult leader in Snowball and Snowflake chapters, outstanding young adult, outstanding Snowball and Snowflake chapters, outstanding support from a community organization/ business, outstanding support from a school and outstanding Board of Directors member.

These awards will be announced and presented at local events. Click here for a full list of award criteria and nomination form or call 800/252-6301, extension 18.

Operation Snowball and a variety of statewide and local partners are unveiling a new effort throughout the State of Illinois entitled "YOUR ACTIONS MATTER!" Coordinated by the Illinois Liquor Control Commission's (ILCC) Don't Be Sorry educational program, the "YOUR ACTIONS MATTER!" logo and slogan are created by teenagers, and are designed to change the behavior of adults who think it is "okay" to give alcohol to minors. In other words, it is you - the TEENS - who will be educating the ADULTS!

The new "YOUR ACTIONS MATTER!" materials are designed to reinforce positive behavior, and replace those created for the "Project Sticker Shock" campaign, a popular spring activity conducted by OS groups in communities throughout the state over the past four years. But, instead of the previous campaign's negative message on legal consequences of underage drinking, the new youth-designed materials will serve as a simple reminder that preventing underage drinking is EVERYONE'S responsibility.

"The vast majority of adults in Illinois do NOT give alcohol to minors, nor do the majority of teens drink alcohol," says ILCC Education Manager Ted Penesis. "By posting positive messaging materials in liquor establishments throughout the state, adults will be reminded that giving alcohol to minors - and underage drinking - is NOT the norm."

We are looking for local groups to take the lead on distributing materials in their community as well as organize a press event to promote your efforts. Operation Snowball and the ILCC have created a manual  click here that contains all the forms you will need to conduct a simple activity (that will take less an hour of your time to arrange) or full-blown community-wide campaign. Do as much or as little as time allows, but please do contact the press about your work, as the "YOUR ACTIONS MATTER!" message will then be seen by many more people.

If you wish to organize a "YOUR ACTIONS MATTER!" event in your community-and to order materials-please visit www.DontBeSorry.org. For more information regarding this activity, please contact Ted Penesis at 312-814-4802 or ted.penesis@illinois.gov.

Make the Right Move(i)e is a creative contest for youths interested in preventing underage drinking during prom and graduation. 

And the winner is Great River Operation Snowball! Congratulations!

Great River OS Video

This contest is designed to get youth involved in developing messages that can influence their peers and discourage them from drinking alcohol. It provides a unique opportunity for youth to develop a powerful video message on underage drinking prevention and have their creative talents displayed on YouTube before a national audience. Because underage drinking is particularly prevalent around special events, the videos focus on messages dedicated to preventing underage drinking at prom and graduation events and parties.