Atmos Energy: 2026 SGA Award Winner

What challenge was this project or initiative created to solve?

Pipeline damage from excavation is the leading cause of natural gas leaks, highlighting a need for more engaging, accessible public education to promote safe digging practices and emergency awareness among families and communities.

What approach or solution did your team implement?

Cultivate a safety culture through education by distributing “Natural Gas Safety with Gus & Rosie” coloring books. Atmos Energy’s highest priority is safety, which dictates how employees interact with customers, work together, and operate more than 80,000 miles of natural gas pipelines across 1,400 communities. As infrastructure projects expand across our eight-state service territory, pipeline damage from excavation has remained the leading cause of outside natural gas leaks. To proactively address this, Atmos Energy launched a creative, interactive, community outreach initiative in conjunction with National Safe Digging Month.

What was the result or measurable outcome?

An initiative that began in Colorado is now an enterprise-wide effort, covering 1,400 communities in eight states and reaching hundreds of schools. Throughout the month of April, Atmos Energy distributed over 3,000 “Natural Gas Safety with Gus & Rosie” coloring books across the enterprise. 

Our vision is for Atmos Energy to be the safest provider of natural gas services. While distributing safe digging coloring books is not the only thing we do to spread awareness during National Safe Digging Month, it is a fun way to educate all ages including the youngest members of our service areas.  

Key Results Include:

• Massive Educational Outreach: Distributing coloring books to thousands of schoolchildren.
• Strengthened Safety Culture: The coloring books reinforce Atmos Energy’s commitment to safety excellence by encouraging safe digging habits among homeowners and their families.
• Damage Prevention: By targeting both children and parents, the initiative reinforced the “call 811 before you dig” message to mitigate the most common cause of outside natural gas leaks.
• Community Partnership: The campaign solidified partnerships with local schools in communities throughout the Atmos Energy service area.

Educational and Safety Benefits of Coloring Books

• Simplifying Complex Topics: Distributing coloring books and crayons to teach young students about natural gas safety and digging practices helps turn abstract concepts into relatable actions through a fun and engaging activity.
• Visual Reinforcement: Coloring an image of a safe digging scene helps embed the importance of safety in a child’s memory. 
• Active Engagement and Retention: Each image can be used by teachers or parents to discuss safety topics. Children are more likely to retain safety information when introduced through engaging activities rather than passive instruction, making learning more effective and enjoyable.

Key Safety Concepts in the Coloring Books:

• What to Do in an Emergency: Teaching children that if they smell gas, they should leave the area immediately and call 911. 
• 811: Teaching children to remind adults to call 811 before digging to locate underground utility lines and prevent unnecessary damage. 
• Utility Markers: Teaching children the uniform color code for marking underground utility lines. 

Practical Benefits for Engagement:

• High-Reach Potential: Coloring books are effective tools for maximizing engagement during school visits.
• Long-Term Impact: Coloring books are often kept for long periods, providing continued exposure to the safety messages.
• Broad Appeal: Coloring is a beloved, non-digital activity that brings children into a creative, non-threatening environment, making safety education accessible and enjoyable.

How does this work reflect SGA’s mission to Share, Grow, and Advance the natural gas industry?

Coloring books are recognized as an effective pedagogical tool for engaging young children, making them an invaluable component of Atmos Energy’s safety outreach strategy. Through the creative use of mascot-driven educational tools, Atmos Energy has made a lasting impact on community welfare and enhanced its damage prevention efforts, making safety an engaging and memorable topic for all ages.