Doodle 4 Google

Information for Schools

The Doodle 4 Google competition is open to all students in U.S. schools from kindergarten to grade 12 (including private schools and all homeschoolers). Only teachers can submit doodles on behalf of their students. We'll be judging doodles in the following brackets:

• Kindergarten - Grade 3
• Grade 4 - Grade 6
• Grade 7 - Grade 9
• Grade 10 - Grade 12

What Does My Teacher Need To Submit?

• A doodle
• A title for the doodle
• A supporting statement explaining how the doodle relates to the "What I Wish for the World" theme
• Completed entry and consent form

Submitting entries

• Your school can submit up to six entries. If your school covers more than one grade group, please try to represent an even spread. You might want to hold a contest to select the best doodles in each grade group. If you're a teacher at a homeschool, you can submit up to two entries for your students.
• Write the entry code you received when you registered online on the back of each doodle (you should have received six (6) entry codes total - one for each of your six entries).
• Please attach completed entry and consent forms to each doodle entry. You can find these forms in the blue box above. The artwork should be placed on top of the submission and the entry form and parental consent form should be attached by a staple in the top left corner of the page.
• Mail your school's entries to the address below so that we receive it no later than 11:59:59 PM Pacific time on March 31, 2009. We recommend that you mail your entry at least five (5) business days prior to the March 31 deadline as we cannot accept any submissions after that date. Please note that Google is not responsible for any late submissions due to delays or disruptions in mail delivery service. If you use a carrier service, make sure it delivers to a PO box.

  
  Doodle 4 Google competition
  PO Box 1379
  Grand Rapids, MN 55745-1379

• You have to submit a copy of your doodle by mail, but this year we are testing a new method of online submission. If you are interested in trying to submit your doodle online, please follow the Submit doodle online instructions.

Design guidelines

Everything you need to start doodling is below.

• The doodle should be presented on a white, landscape sheet of 8.5 x 11 inch paper.
• You can download the Google logo template: Download PDF file or Download GIF file
• The winning doodle will be displayed on the Google.com homepage, so the Google logo should be clearly visible and recognizable.
• The doodle can be in pencil, crayons, felt tip or paint, or can be done using computer drawing or design software.
• Unfortunately, we can't accept entries which use additional materials to create 3D effects.
• Please encourage your students to create original designs. Be inspired by Dennis Hwang, our original doodler - but don't recreate his designs.

Contest Rules

You can read the official contest rules for this year's competition on the Contest Rules.

FAQ

About the Competition

What is the 'Doodle 4 Google' competition?

'Doodle 4 Google' is a competition open to K-12 students of U.S. schools to create their own Google doodle inspired by the theme, "What I Wish for the World".

Why is Google doing this competition?

We are delighted to encourage and celebrate the creativity of young people, and are excited to see the range of creative doodles that are submitted.

Why did you select the theme, "What I Wish for the World"?

With the country on the brink of change, it seemed to us like a timely question to be asking the youth of today what are their wishes for the world. Doodle 4 Google provides a canvas for kids to express their vision through art and design. It also provides them with a voice for what they want to see changed in the world.

So what does "What I Wish for the World" mean? How might it be represented visually?

Example statements are provided to help students start dreaming, designing and doodling. Statements such as: I wish we could use plants for electricity; I wish we could make college free for everyone; I wish we could give health insurance to all who need it; and, I wish we could connect everyone by cell phone or computers, are examples of how this theme could be represented. We're really excited to see the range of creative interpretations that are submitted.

How do kids/parents/teachers sign up?

Registration is now closed. Teachers must sign up on behalf of their students and submit their doodles and entry forms by March 31, 2009 after they register their school.

What does it mean that you're partnering with the Smithsonian's, Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum on this competition? What's their role in Doodle 4 Google?

We're excited to partner with the Smithsonian's, Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum for this year's Doodle 4 Google competition. At its core, Doodle 4 Google is about the intersection of art, design and technology, so joining forces with Cooper-Hewitt – a leader in encouraging the next generation of designers and advancing public understanding of design – is a natural fit. Cooper-Hewitt also has a lot of experience working with school kids to education them on the importance of design. The museum also works with teachers to stress how the design process is a proven method of helping students develop 21st century skills such as: defining problems, communicating in verbal and written formats, and working creatively to find solutions. A representative from the museum will be participating as one of our 10 independent judges for selecting the 40 top regional winners.

Finally, Cooper-Hewitt will exhibit the top 40 regional doodle winners' original doodles in their museum in New York City after the competition concludes.

Why are you exhibiting the doodles at the Smithsonian's, Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum in NYC?

Each time we host a Doodle 4 Google competition, we are consistently surprised and delighted by the level of creativity we see expressed through the students' doodles. In effort to extend the lifetime of these great designs and let people interact with the doodles "offline," the Smithsonian's, Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum will host an exclusive exhibit of the top 40 regional winners' doodles in their museum in New York City. The exhibit will run from May 21, 2009 until July 5, 2009. The exhibition will focus on the problem-solving nature of the design process, and will include educational programs for teachers and students.

Who were the winners last year? Are they allowed to compete again?

Our four national finalists from last year were: Spencer Norton, from Ashbrook Elementary School in New Jersey, Grace Moon, from Canyon Middle School in California, Rebecca Olene, from Pioneer Ridge Freshmen Center in Minnesota and Gabriel Kitzman, from Elbert School Dist. #200 in Colorado.

And our national winner was Grace Moon:
http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2008/05/we-have-doodle-4-google-national-winner.html

The 4 finalists are ineligible to win, but they are allowed to submit doodles and participate in the competition this year.

Is this the first time you've done Doodle 4 Google?

No. We hosted our first Doodle 4 Google competition in the U.S. last year. We've also hosted the competition around the world in various countries, including the UK, Australia, Mexico, Germany, Austria, Sweden, Israel, China and the Netherlands. We've been amazed and inspired by the doodle submissions in every competition, and are very excited to host this competition in the U.S. again this year.

Eligibility

What are the eligibility requirements?

This competition is open to current students in grades K-12 of registered schools in the 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. This includes private schools and homeschoolers. The students must also be U.S. residents and if they are a minor, they must obtain their parent's consent to participate in the contest.

Are homeschooled children eligible to participate?

Yes, homeschools that teach students curriculum for grades K-12 are encouraged to register. Only the teacher or administrator may register the student(s).

My school is not participating in the competition. Can I still participate?

Only registered schools can participate. Encourage a teacher to register on behalf of your school.

Does the student need to be a U.S. citizen to participate?

Students are not required to be U.S. citizens. However, they must be U.S. residents.

Judging and Prizes

How is the contest judged?

Students' doodles will be judged on artistic merit, creativity, representation of the theme, and other criteria. A panel of independent judges will select the top doodles across grade groups, from which the public will help select the final four. The national winner will then be selected by Google and announced at an event held at the Google New York Office on May 20, 2009.

• Submissions will be divided into four grade groups (Kindergarten - Grade 3, Grade 4 - Grade 6, Grade 7 - Grade 9, and Grade 10 - Grade 12) for judging. There will be four stages of judging. At the State level, up to 400 State Finalists (100 per grade group; 2 from each state) will be selected by a panel of regional judges including Googlers, educators and the press. Entries from the the District of Columbia will be judged with the state of Maryland.
• At the Regional Level, 40 Regional Winners (10 per grade group; 1 from each region) will be selected from the pool of up to 400 State Finalists by the panel of regional judges.
• At the National level, four National Finalists (1 per grade group) will be selected from the pool of 40 Regional Winners by public vote via http://www.google.com/doodle4google
• Google will then choose one National Winner from among the four National Finalists.

What criteria will be used to select the winning doodle?

To narrow the entries down to the top 40 regional finalists, eligible doodles will be judged by an independent judging panel against the following criteria:

• Artistic merit: based on grade group and artistic skill
• Creativity: based on the representation of the "What I Wish for the World" theme and use of the Google logo
• Theme communication: how well the theme is expressed
• Appropriateness of the supporting statement

What are the prizes for winners?

• The National Winner will win a $15,000 college scholarship to be used at the school of their choice, a trip to the Google New York Office for an event on May 20, 2009, a laptop computer, and a t-shirt printed with their doodle. We'll 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 homepage on May 21, 2009.
• Each of the other 3 National Finalists will win a trip to the Google New York Office, a laptop computer, and a t-shirt printed with their doodle.
• Each of the other 36 Regional Winners will win a trip to the Google New York Office and a t-shirt printed with their doodle.
• Each of the other 360 State Finalists will receive a "Doodle 4 Google" certificate.
• Also, this year we've added a new District Quality Participation Prize in the amount of $10,000 to the school district that most encourages high-quality participation from its schools.

More Questions

I've got more questions. Who should I ask?

If you have more questions, please contact us at doodle4google-team@google.com