Students, educators and community organisations came together to break the stigma surrounding mental health during a three-day conference.

A spokeswoman said 700 people from middle and high schools, as well as the Bermuda College, participated in the Breakout Youth Mental Health Summit.

The event, organised by Oath International and spearheaded by the Youth Mental Health Plan team, featured motivational speaker A’Ric Jackson.

He was joined by Shera Hill of the Meditation Chic, psychotherapist Joanne Darrell Herbert and local partners such as OutBermuda, Masc, Solstice and Child and Family Services.

The spokeswoman said: “Students engaged in thought-provoking sessions such as ‘5 keys to mental wellness’, ‘Beyond the streets’ and ‘The masks we wear’, as well as hands-on workshops exploring resilient leadership, vision boarding, journaling and artistic expression.”

The conference also featured therapy dogs, a silent disco and an open mike hosted by Mr Fotogenik.

Sloane Johnson, event co-ordinator, said: “The summit wasn’t just about talking at young people, it was about giving them the mike, the platform and the power to reimagine what mental wellness looks like for themselves and our community.”

The spokeswoman added: “Preliminary feedback from the summit underscores its impact — over 98 per cent said the summit was worth their time, and 100 per cent reported they would recommend it to their peers.”

Organisers hope to make the summit an annual event so young people have a “safe space to learn, lead and be heard on issues that matter most to them”.