upf unfold your own myth host workshop 1

Host a Workshop

I am a board-certified psychiatrist and Harvard-trained trauma expert. I had the great pleasure and honor of working with the Unity Productions Foundation team on the psychosocial aspects of the film Lamya's Poem. I believe that the Unfold Your Own Myth curriculum which is based on the film is appropriate for the target age group.

Dr. Omar Reda

Founder, Project Untangled and Psychosocial Therapist

The Unfold Your Own Myth Project is a serial workshop model in self-expression and community reorientation that uses as its catalyst "Lamya’s Poem" (a feature-length animated film aimed at teens and young adults about a Syrian refugee girl who is given a book of poetry by the 13th Century Poet, Rumi, that becomes a magical gateway to meet the young Rumi when he was a boy fleeing the violence of his time and helps him to write the poem that 800 years later saves her life. Unfold Your Own Myth uses the film as a vehicle to leverage the power of story in overcoming trauma and loss among marginalized youth in three struggling communities in America — refugee, immigrant and Muslim.

Requirements for Hosting the Workshops

Here are items to consider when determining whether the Unfold workshop is a good fit for your community:

Workshop: The workshop will consist of 2-3 sessions of 1.5- 2 hours each. A means to watch the 90-minute film ahead of the workshop sessions will be provided.
Audience: The workshops are targeted to Youth between the recommended ages of 12-17 years. The workshop encourages a diverse group of youth such as refugee, children of immigrants, and/or Muslim - although the workshop is open to all demographics. 12-25 participants have been shown to work best but if there are more than 25 participants, a co-facilitator is recommended- following a 1-25 ratio.
Space Requirements: A room that is conducive to learning; i. e. quiet, private and has the ability to view the excerpts of the film Lamya’s Poem.
Facilitator: The workshops work best when the same facilitator(s) conduct the series. Please read below for further information.

Facilitator Role

Facilitators may be teachers, community organizers, leaders of after-school or weekend programs, scouting troops, and religious schools, among others.

A Facilitator for The Unfold Your Own Myth workshop plays a crucial role into the success and execution of the program. No need to feel intimidated, one doesn’t need to be an expert poet or writer! More importantly is to be able to create a safe and inviting space for participants to feel comfortable enough expressing themselves on such vulnerable topics.

Some attributes a facilitator should have is to be a good listener, be timely, and culturally sensitive. It would be ideal if the facilitator is someone that already works with the audience of the workshop. This can be a youth coordinator, mentor, teacher, dedicated volunteer or the like.

Facilitator/Host Responsibilities

12-25 participants (recommended) between the ages of 12-17 years old.
Diverse student body.
Ensure a physical space is available to host the workshop that is accessible to the youth and provide a comfortable space to explore together. The physical space should include a projector/screen/sound setup to play clips from the film.
Lead a series of 2-3 workshops of 1.5 - 2 hours each.

Facilitators Will Receive

A "Writing Workshop" Certificate to use for further professional development.
Reference letter from UPF (upon request).
Acknowledgment in published Unfold Your Own Myth book and on the Kids Spirit website, upon permission to release from student and guardian of student.

Resources UPF Will Provide

A virtual facilitator training session (1.5 to 2 hours)
Facilitator Handbook
Organizer Guide
Access to screen Lamya’s Poem
Participant Pamphlets
Moleskin journal for each participant and facilitator
Certificate of completion for participants
Guidance from our workshop coordinator
Opportunity for participants to publish their work on Kids Spirit website and possibly in the Unfold Your Own Myth book collection

Feel free to discuss further needs or ask questions by reaching out to the workshop coordinator using our contact form.

Advisors

The advisors to Unfold Your Own Myth includes Persian and Islamic history scholars, Arab and Syrian community leaders, Rumi scholars, curriculum developers, neuroscientists and creative writing, storytelling and animation specialists who have either contributed to the making of the film or the development of "Unfold Your Own Myth" or both. They include:

Omar Reda, director, and founder of Project Untangled
Homayra Ziad, director of Islamic studies at Johns Hopkins University
Suleiman Ali Mourad, professor of medieval studies at Smith College
Omid Safi, professor of Asian and Middle Eastern studies at Duke University
Susan Douglas, project director and educator, Center for Contemporary Arab Studies at Georgetown University
Brad Gooch, author of "Rumi’s Secret: The Life of the Sufi Poet of Love"
Edmund Kabir Helminski, Threshold Society, Mevlevi Order, Persian poetry translator
Rana Dajani, director of We Love Reading
Zenab Khouder, Syrian humanitarian activist

Community and thought leaders who have lent their support to the project include:

A.R. Rahman, composer, and music producer
Zaid Shakir, American Muslim thought leader
Maryum Ali, author of "I Shook Up the World: The Incredible Life of Muhammad Ali"