‘And a little child shall lead them’ is the phrase.

And in this case, that little child is Johanna Linson, 6.

When Johanna was three, her brother Jackson, 8, described how his sister would watch television cooking shows and mimic the host.

“I love to cook,” said Johanna Linson, 6. So, one day about a year ago, she told her mom that she wanted her own cooking show. Since Johanna is home schooled, both mom and dad thought that this would be a wonderful learning opportunity.

That’s when mom got in touch with Laclede Gas and Charter Cable Television and told them of her idea. And the rest is history. Both Laclede Gas, who has a long history and tradition of providing cooking shows and other programs for the community, and Charter loved the idea. Eight episodes, eight-minutes each, were sponsored and filmed at Laclede Gas’ demonstration kitchen. In fact, Laclede Gas renovated their kitchen with a new natural gas cook top, range and oven to accommodate Johanna and the dozen or so relatives and friends who joined her on the show.

The shows are available through Charter’s Cable On Demand and through Laclede Gas’ new kid-friendly Web site, www.lacledegaskids.com.

 “It’s a show for children by children their own ages. Kids want to see other kids cooking. It inspires them, as well as teaches valuable lessons,” said Pamela Kramer Childress, manager of the employee and consumer education department at Laclede Gas. “We want to be good corporate stewards.”

Local children between the ages of 5 and 17 prepare recipes and provide the nutritional and safety information in each episode. The first episode, titled Prehistoric Cooking, featured Brontosaurus Burgers and Tyrannosaurus Rex Scales (i.e., chips). Upcoming episodes include After-School Snacks, Party Planning, Desserts, and Healthy Makeover Foods. Recipes are also included.

More episodes are also being considered, Childress said.

But, this show was also created to augment the new Web site, which focuses on teaching children about natural gas safety, the environment and the science behind natural gas energy, through the characters of the Gas House Gang. Members of the Gas House Gang include Pierre the Penguin, who teaches weatherization and conservation; Daisy the Dinosaur, who knows all about history and the discovery of natural gas; Eco the Frog, who tells kids how easy it is to be environmentally friendly when it comes to the use of energy; Jack the Dog, who helps kids make sure their homes are safe; and Murray the Mole, who is the outdoor safety expert.

Currently, each character has a downloadable file with an information page, a game or activity, as well as a coloring sheet, and more are planned for the future.

 “The consumer education department at Laclede Gas is dedicated to bringing information to the public on the benefits of natural gas energy and the services of Laclede Gas,” Childress said. “This Web site was proudly developed to teach children about pipeline safety, natural gas safety, being green and conserving energy. We hope kids-of all ages-will enjoy spending time with the Gas House Gang.”

Laclede Gas is sensitive to what is most important to parents and their children, as well as the community as a whole. The new programs they have just created is an opportunity for Laclede Gas to get their messages out about safety and green energy. Laclede Gas has a 150-year history and tradition of giving back to the community and changing the world for the better.

Laclede Gas is the largest gas distribution company in Missouri, serving more than 630,000 natural gas customers in St. Louis and the surrounding counties in Eastern Missouri.

314-768-7730
http://www.Lacledegaskids.com
PKramer@lacledegas.com