The Energy Safe Kids Poster Contest is a student poster contest which is sponsored by NIPSCO. and developed by the National Energy Foundation (NEF). The purpose of the contest is to share and promote the Common Ground Alliance (CGA) Call 811 message. It is designed to combine a student’s originality and artistic talent with his or her ability to share the important message: Know what’s below, Call 811 before you dig.

Students can Think! about energy issues, Talk! to adults about those issues and Take Action! when needed. They understand the ways to protect themselves, their families and communities from potentially dangerous situations where energy sources are present. One of the most effective ways students and their families guard against unsafe practices is to follow the 811 rule.

The 811 rule is easy and applies to everyone: individuals, families, neighborhoods and even the construction industry. Simply put, the rule is Call 811 before you dig. This easy practice helps protect our environment and provides damage prevention to pipelines below ground.

Every state has a system of marking property with colored flags or paint to show above the ground where pipelines are below the ground. The phone number for every state is the same – 811. When 811 is called, a locator comes to the site and marks underground lines, pipes and cables. This practice ensures that those that dig in the ground do not hit underground pipelines and create an unsafe environment for a community.

This contest provides teachers an easy way to incorporate safety education into classroom curriculum. The teacher’s role is to help students understand the reasons why calling 811 is an important part of energy safety for neighborhoods. This can be accomplished by using the NEF Natural Gas Safety Poster and viewing the 811 Pirate Video to inspire poster designs.