Google is calling for children across Ireland to flex their creative muscle and enter the third annual Doodle 4 Google competition.
Doodle 4 Google is a creative art and design competition which is open to primary and secondary students in the Republic of Ireland.
This year, students are being asked to make a doodle around the Google logo based on the theme of “To me, happiness is …”
The winning doodle will be placed on the Google Ireland home page for 24 hours in March 2011, which will be seen by millions of users.
The winner and their teacher will each receive a personal laptop and the winning school will receive a €10,000 technology grant.
The four regional finalists and their teachers will also receive a laptop each.
Ruth Deeny from Loreto Community School in Milford, Co Donegal, won last year.
“Winning the Doodle 4 Google competition was an amazing experience, not only did everyone see my doodle on the Google homepage, but the technology grant has also made a huge difference to our school,” said Ruth.
A panel of expert judges will help narrow down the search to 60 regional winners.
The judging panel includes Ian Brunswick, events and community manager at the Science Gallery, Sinead Connelly, Dublin City Arts officer, Sean Kissane, curator of the Irish Museum of Modern Art and Gary Granville, professor of education at the National College of Art and Design.
Doodle 4 Google competition categories
There are four categories. Category 1 includes junior infants to 2nd class and Category 2 involves 3rd class to 6th class.
Category 3 includes 1st year to 3rd year students and Category 4 involves Transition Year to 6th Year and Youth Reach students.
The panel will select 15 winners from the four regions in Ireland. The 60 regional winners will be displayed on the Doodle 4 Google website and the public will vote for their favourite doodle.
The top 4, as voted by the public, will then be judged by the official Google doodle team, who will select the winner.
“Innovation and creativity are founding principles for Google’s business,” said Alice Mansergh, head of EMEA Customer Marketing at Google Ireland.
“Our Doodle 4 Google competition allows us to encourage these skills in Irish students, and we’ve always been hugely impressed by the quality of response in this country.
“The competition has gone from strength to strength, and we’re hoping that this year will be the best yet,” said Mansergh.
