Announcing Third Annual US Doodle 4 Google Competition Tweet

Today, Google is kicking off the third annual Doodle 4 Google competition. Doodle 4 Google is a competition open to K-12 students in U.S. schools who are invited to create their own Google doodle inspired by the theme, "If I Could Do Anything, I Would . . ." A "doodle" is the logo design that appears on the Google homepage periodically to celebrate special events, holidays, or the lives of artists and inventors.

New to this year's competition is the addition of expert jurors such as Eric Carle, the creator of the "Very Hungry Caterpillar," who will help determine the top 40 Regional Finalists. Other expert jurors include well known illustrators, cartoonists and animators like Dr. Seuss Enterprises, The Sesame Street Workshop, DC Comics (creators of Wonder Woman, Batman, and Superman), King Features: Popeye and Betty Boop, The Charles Schultz Museum/Peanuts Studio, Paul Frank Industries, Barbie-Mattel and Pixar Animation Studios who are the creators of Toy Story 3.

All schools in the U.S. (including private schools and homeschools) that register will have the chance to participate. Students' doodles will be judged on artistic merit, creativity, representation of the theme, and other criteria. A panel of Google employees will select the 400 State Finalists, and the Expert Jurors will select the top 40 Regional Finalists. Finally, the public will help select the four national finalists. The one National Winner will be selected by Google executives and will be announced at an event held in the Google New York office on May 26, 2010. More information can be found on the Doodle 4 Google website:

This year's winner will receive:

* $15,000 college scholarship
* $25,000 technology grant to the champion doodler's school
* a chance for his/her doodle to appear on the Google.com homepage on May 27, 2010
* a laptop computer
* a Wacom digital design tablet
* a t-shirt with his/her doodle printed on it

For the first time in the history of the competition, Google will be giving out eight (8) Extra Credit: Technology Booster awards in the form of netbook computers for schools that submit the maximum number of doodles by March 10, 2010 and have students that are selected to be a 400 State Finalist.

For the second year in a row, Google is partnering with the Smithsonian's Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum to showcase the 40 Regional Finalists' artwork in a public art exhibition from May 27 to July 8, 2010 in New York city. The 40 Regional Finalists along with a parent will be flown to an awards event at the Google office in New York City on May 26. Doodle 4 Google is the celebration of 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.

Only students from registered schools can enter the contest. Teachers should go to www.google.com/doodle4google to register their school by 11:59:59 P.M. Pacific Time (PT) on March 17, 2010. Parents and children interested in participating should pass this link on to their teachers. Teachers must sign up on behalf of their students and submit their students' doodles and completed entry forms by March 31, 2010 11:59:59 P.M. Pacific Time (PT).

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