Online giant asks students to ‘Doodle 4 Google’

Company holds contest that will feature winner’s drawing on home page

Google on Wednesday announced the launch of “Doodle 4 Google,” a competition that invites school children to design a Google logo inspired by the question, “What If ...?”

The winning student’s doodle will be displayed on the Google homepage on May 22, 2008; the champion “doodler” will also win a $10,000 college scholarship and a $25,000 technology grant for his/her school.

The “Doodle 4 Google” competition is open to U.S. students K-12.

Participating classrooms can use accompanying lesson plans to help students start dreaming and doodling, while also integrating the project into classroom learning.

Students’ doodles will be judged on artistic merit, creativity and representation of the theme. Panels of regional judges will select 40 top doodles across age groups, from which the public will help select the final four. The grand-prize winner will then be selected by Google and announced at an event hosted at Google’s headquarters on May 21, 2008. The doodle will be displayed on the Google homepage the following day.

The customization of the Google logo started in 1999, and is now designed almost exclusively by Google Webmaster Dennis Hwang, whose work is seen by millions every time he exhibits on the Google homepage. The 29-year-old calls his drawings “doodles.”

Dennis has creatively depicted worldwide events, anniversaries and holidays with doodles that incorporate the Google logo for the world of users to celebrate.