Event Toolkit

Our Family Tree, Our Many Masks

Theme & Purpose

This gathering invites young men to celebrate the richness of their cultural and family roots — and to reflect on how those roots shape the masks they wear each day. By combining the family tree activity with the #MillionMaskMovement, participants see that their identities are made of many layers: heritage, values, and the inner/outer selves they carry.

Through symbols, stories, and creative mask-making, they learn that diversity and vulnerability strengthen brotherhood, family, and community bonds.

Group Size

6–20 participants (young men, with mentors/family encouraged).

Time Needed

60–75 minutes total.

STEP-BY-STEP Program

Our Family Tree, Our Many Masks

1. Welcome & Purpose (5 minutes)

Host Script:
“Today we’re building a family tree that’s big enough for everyone’s branches. Many of us have roots in more than one culture, and each branch adds beauty, strength, and connection. Alongside this, we’ll also create masks to reflect what we show on the outside and what we carry within. Together, we’ll see how our roots, traditions, and even our hidden parts shape who we are — and how they connect us to one another.”

2. Prepare the Tree Display (5 minutes)

• Place the large tree outline on a wall or table.

• Explain: Each branch or leaf will represent a culture or heritage in the group.

3. Add Your Branches (20 minutes)

• Each participant tapes or pins their photo, object, or symbol to a branch.

• Hand out index cards, and have each participant write:

  • The heritage or culture it represents.

  • A value or tradition they appreciate from it.

  • A value or perspective they wish to discontinue.

  • Anything else they would like to add

• Place the place cards alongside their corresponding items on the tree.

4. Create a Mask (20 minutes)

• Hand out mask cards (paper or digital).

• Invite participants to draw/write:

  • Front (outside): what they show the world.

  • Back (inside): what they often carry but don’t always show.

• Mask Links:

  • Paper: millionmask.org

  • Digital: millionmask.org/drawboard

• Collect all masks face down in a box/envelope. Shuffle and redistribute.

• Invite reflection: “Look at the card you’ve received. Notice how much we all carry. We are often more alike than different.”

5. Sharing Circle (20 minutes)

Invite each participant to share briefly:

• What their photo/object represents.

• One tradition or value from their culture they hope to carry forward.

• One tradition or value they wish to discontinue.

• What they noticed from the mask exchange.

• How their family roots and personal masks shape the way they show up in their school, community, or friendships.

6. Reflection (10 minutes)

Discuss together:

• How blending cultures creates new traditions and deeper understanding.

• How mask-making helps us see the hidden layers behind our identities.

• Invite each person to jot a short reflection: “How do my roots and my mask together shape the kind of man I want to be?”

7. Closing & Positive Action (5–10 minutes)

Host Closing Script:
“Our tree is stronger because of its many branches. And our brotherhood is stronger when we can take off the masks and show what’s real. No matter where our roots began, or what we’ve carried inside, we meet here — committed to building a better future together.”

8. SHARE MASKS POST EVENT (10 minutes)

Take pictures of each mask and email them to millionmask@everforwardclub.org to join our #MillionMaskMovement and help us reach 100,000 people by this November!

Optional Add-Ons

• Photo of Tree: Take a picture of the completed tree for display online or in a school/community space.

  Future Branches: Add a section where participants write their hopes for the next generation.

  Take-Home Leaves: Use paper or fabric leaves for participants to write reflections and take as keepsakes.

For any questions, please contact millionmask@everforwardclub.org