Break Up Summit: Love, Loss, Lessons

When relationships end, the aftermath can be stressful especially for teens. To help navigate these intense emotions, a Break Up Summit happens annually in Boston.

The group Start Strong Boston hosted a unique, fun event to help young black and brown teens navigate the struggle of heartbreak and relationship issues– the Breakup Summit. 

Start Strong is an internationally recognized youth-led violence prevention program that aims to prevent teen dating violence and promote healthy relationships. 

They believe in using a trauma-informed, positive youth development framework to start conversations on systems of oppression, intersectionality, and prevention/promotion work while incorporating a media literacy lens.

Started in 2009, it aims to provide a supportive environment where people can share their unique perspectives regarding the tough struggles of dealing with a break up.

The Break Up Summit offers a safe and non-judgmental space for teens to process and share their feelings and reflect on their relationships. With the help of other teens, it comes from a place where you can directly relate too.

The summit’s lineup of speakers include teens from around Boston to share how they all experienced tough times before especially with relationships, and using these experiences to relate to and provide advice for their peers in healthy ways. 

Students shared their knowledge on ways to cope with grief and rebuild self-esteem. Attendees were also provided access to the Start Strong Boston website which itself is a major resource, with many quizzes and tests to determine your relationship with anyone, friends, family, and partners.

The summit is beneficial to people beyond attendees, teens who have facilitated the conversations have gained valuable insight that helps them with their own personal growth.

A teen who spoke at the summit said, “I feel like this being my second year like teaching a class, it’s just made me more emotionally aware, and also it’s making me more aware of the people around me.”

The Break Up Summit in Boston provided a unique and supportive environment for individuals to heal, grow, and rebuild after a breakup. With its expert guidance, interactive workshops, and supportive community, this event promises to be a valuable experience for anyone navigating the challenges of heartbreak. Whether you’re looking to process your emotions, gain new insights, or simply connect with others who understand your journey, the Break Up Summit is an event worth considering.