Our 2018 Woman of the Year, Karen Jarczyk, LSW, CSADP, is Prevention Director at 360 Youth Services. Karen began her journey in youth crisis prevention over 35 years ago when she started as the full-time crisis intervention director for Naperville Community Outreach in an office next to Beidelman’s Furniture in downtown Naperville.

2018 Woman of the Year Karen Jarczyk (center) with AAUW Naperville Area Co-presidents Estela Hammond and Elaine Fisher

Karen’s contributions to the community and achievements are many. She has pioneered prevention education which impacts all students in both Naperville District 203 and Indian Prairie School District 204, DuPage County and beyond. She expanded and institutionalized programs like The Power of Choice and Naperville Operation Snowball, a drug-prevention program.

One of Karen’s latest accomplishments was establishing the Community Alliance for Prevention, which was made possible by her management of a successful grant application and award of a federal grant of $625,000 over five years to establish a community collaboration aimed at lowering youth use rates for marijuana, alcohol, and prescription medication for non-medical use.

Karen also was an early champion of the LGTBQ community. She organized Naperville’s first LGTBQ support group. She has forged local and regional partnerships and mentored many young women, some of whom are now returning to work for 360 Youth Services after they participated in Operation Snowball when they attended school.