Win A Grant For Your School By Doodling For Google

Published January 21, 2011

For the last four years Google has held their annual student competition called “Doodle 4 Google.” The contest is open to U.S. students from grades K3-K12 and submissions will be sorted and judged by age group. For non-US residents, there will be separate contests for 21 other countries as well. As with other Google contests, there are some groovy prizes up for grabs. If you are going to enter, the registration deadline is March 2, 2011. Want to learn more? Read on.

It’s a Doodle contest, so what do I draw?

You know that Google logo you see on the homepage of www.google.com? That is a Google Doodle. This contest is for pre-college school students of all ages to create a logo designed for the front page of Google. Every year of the contest Google specifies a theme that the doodles should go after, and this years them is:

“What I’d like to do someday”

Contestants are encouraged to create a doodle of the Google logo that will show off their aspirations for what they want to do with their life, whether it be to “find a cure for cancer or take a trip to the moon.”

During the 3 previous years there was some steep competition, particularly among the older age groups. Below is the doodle of the 1st place entry from last year, made by then age 9 Makenzie M.

Okay first off, what are the prizes? (I need motivation!)

In the Doodle 4 Google contest there is 1 big winner and 3 semi-big winners.

1st place will get:

a $15,000 college scholarship, a trip to the Google New York office for an event on May 19, 2011, a new laptop, a Wacom digital design tablet, and a t-shirt printed with his or her doodle on it. We’ll also award the winner’s school or After School Program a $25,000 technology grant towards the establishment or improvement of a computer lab or technology programming. The National Winner will also have his or her doodle featured on the U.S. Google.com homepage.

2-4th place will get:

a $5,000 college scholarship to be used at the school of his or her choice, a trip to the Google New York office for an event on May 19, 2011, a Wacom digital design tablet, and a t-shirt printed with their doodle on it.

40 runner-ups will get:

a trip to the Google New York office for an event on May 19, 2011 and a t-shirt printed with their doodles on it. All 40 Regional Finalists will also have their doodle displayed in a special exhibit at the Whitney Museum of American Art.

400 nominated entries will get:

a Doodle 4 Google t-shirt, official winner’s certificate, and be featured on the Doodle 4 Google contest web site.

Okay, so the list of prizes is pretty sweet. If you have any artistic skill, you at least have a good chance at winning a t-shirt, but it could pay off and land you and your school some nice cash and tech.

How Do I Enter?

All submissions are due March 16, 2011 and students must be registered for the contest by March 2, 2011. Students cannot register themselves, they will need either a Parent/Guardian, School Official, or afterschool program representative to do it for them.

To enter your student, visit the Registration Page of the Google 4 Doodle website and specify who you are and the name of the child you are registering.

Need inspiration?

We’ve pulled up a few of the top entry’s from last years competition, keep in mind that the big winners from last year will be competing again this time around, though they will be exempt from winning the grand prizes. Just check out some of these Doodles below:

Last years grade K7-9 runner-up (Age 13)