Piper Jackson wants her peers to know three very important things: They matter, they are not alone and help is out there.

Jackson, a sophomore at Troy High School, recently installed signs promoting the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline in every bathroom in the school as part of her Eagle Scout project. 

The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is the United States' national hotline for people experiencing suicidal thoughts, mental health crises, substance use concerns, emotional distress or any other behavioral health-related challenges. It's designed to provide immediate, free, and confidential support.

For Piper, the daughter of Doug and Shauna Jackson, it was a project that hit close to home. Her father serves as the statewide 988 System Administrator for the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services. 

“We have to have an Eagle project for Scouts, and just thinking about that for a really long time, I figured out what I want to do,” Jackson said. “My dad is the administrator for 988, so that was already a big part of my life, and I also found a lot of connection to the topic of suicide, so I thought that would be a meaningful project in stead of just building benches or something like that.” 

She initially started the project by hanging signs at various locations in the Miami County Park District, then asked Troy High School principal Alexis Dedrick and school counselor Loren Evilsizor if she could hang additional signs at the school.

“My actual original Eagle project was working with Miami County Parks and Tri-County Board of Mental Health to make 988 signs and put them all around Miami County Parks,” Jackson said.  “So this is kind of like an offshoot from that main project. I made 20 signs and put them around 12 different parks, and then I had eight leftover, which was perfect. I reached out to the guidance counselor and principal, and they said I could put them in.” 

Evilsizor and Dedrick were both immediately on board with the project. 

“When Piper approached me about installing the additional signs from her Eagle Scout project, I recognized what a great idea this was,” Evilsizor said. “We considered several locations within the school and ultimately determined that the restrooms would provide the greatest visibility and impact. Given that all students use our restrooms throughout the school day, the placement ensures the signs would be visible to all students and staff. 

“Piper's project is important for students and staff at Troy High School as a reminder that help is right at their fingertips if they are struggling with their mental health. Also, if a student knows of a peer that is struggling, they can take a picture of the sign and send it to them in case they need to access it any time. I am really proud of Piper for taking on this project and sharing this resource with our students and staff at Troy High School. It is a selfless project Piper chose to undertake and I was happy she allowed me to be a small part of it.”

Jackson said she’s happy she could do something that could potentially help one of her fellow classmates, or even future Troy High School students. 

“I was really excited to get the opportunity to do something like this at the school, because I thought it would be important,” she said. “Everyone goes to the bathroom. I thought it would be important for everyone to see those signs and create more awareness. I know Mrs. Evilsizor was touched by it, which really moved me, just knowing that people do see them and do have reactions, even if I don’t ever hear about it, just knowing that people are seeing them and that gives them hope.”

The fact that Jackson was able to do this project and earn Eagle Scout honors is a story in an of itself. Until Feb. 1, 2019, girls were not allowed to join the Boy Scouts – now known as Scouting America – and attain Eagle Scout status.

Much like her father inspired her Eagle Scout project, he also had a big hand in her joining Scouting America. 

“Girls were just allowed in Scouts around 2019, and our troop started just when girls were first let into the Boy Scout curriculum,” Piper said. “My dad and all of his friends were in Scouts, and he and all of his friends grew up and had daughters. So my dad and all of his Scout buddies from when he was younger started this troop, and all of the daughters were in it. We were the guinea pigs and founders of it, and we stayed with it all the way through, so it’s been like six years. It’s been the best thing that has ever happened to me. I feel so much more prepared for life now that I’ve been through all of this.”

(If you or someone you know you or someone you know needs help right now, please don't hesitate – call or text 988, or chat at the website. You're not alone, and support is available immediately. For more official info, check out the main site: 988lifeline.org)