COMPETITION: Doodle4Google

Google is both a noun “What does Google have to say?” and a verb “Google it and find out.” This competition encourages K-12 students in U.S. schools to showcase their art around the word Google and on Google.com’s homepage. Register your school at Doodle 4 Google The theme is “If I Could Do Anything, I Would . . . “ and competition details can be found on the Official Google Blog.

Teachers should go to www.google.com/doodle4google and register their school by March 17, 2010. Teachers must sign up on behalf of their students so parents and children interested in participating should pass this link on to their teachers to get them registered.

A competition wouldn’t be complete without prizes. What prizes are awarded to Doodle 4 Google winners and finalists this year?

• The National Winner will win a $15,000 college scholarship to be used at the school of their choice, a trip to New York City for an event on May 26, 2010, a laptop computer, a Wacom digital design tablet, and a t-shirt printed with their doodle on it. Google will also award the winner’s school a $25,000 grant towards the establishment/improvement of a computer lab. The winning doodle will also be featured on the Google.com homepage on May 27, 2010.
• Each of the other 3 National Finalists will win a trip to New York City for an event on May 26, 2010, a laptop computer, a Wacom digital design tablet and a t-shirt printed with their doodle on it.
• Each of the other 40 Regional Finalists will win a trip to New York City for an event on May 26, 2010 and a t-shirt printed with their doodle on it.
• Each of the other 400 State Finalists will receive a “Doodle 4 Google” certificate and be featured on the Doodle 4 Google web site.

As an additional incentive this year, Google is also giving out eight (8) Extra Credit: Technology Booster Awards that consist of netbook computers to schools who submit the maximum number of doodles by March 10, 2010 and have a student who is one of the 400 State Finalists. For more information on eligibility, visit the Doodle 4 Google website here, http://www.google.com/doodle4google/

Students’ doodles will be judged on artistic merit, creativity, representation of the theme, and other criteria. This year Google also have a panel of 10 “Expert Jurors” who will help judge Doodle 4 Google. These are well known illustrators, cartoonists, and animators from organizations such as The Sesame Street Workshop Dr. Seuss Enterprisesand Pixar Animation Studios who are the creators of Toy Story 3. A public exhibit of the 39 regional finalists and the national winner will be open to the public at the Smithsonian’s, Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum from May 27 to July 8, 2010. To give your class a little inspiration, check out last year’s winners at the Doodle 4 Google website!