2021 Doodle for Google contest focuses on kids' inner strength
The winner will see her or his artwork displayed on Google's homepage for a day and receive a $30,000 college scholarship.
Google wants to know what makes schoolchildren strong.
It took a lot of inner strength to help us get through the challenging year that was 2020. It was especially difficult being a parent to youngsters during this time, but somehow, it appears our children may come out the better for overcoming last year's challenges.
So it's probably not surprising that for its annual Doodle for Google contest, Google chose "I am strong because..." as its theme. Schoolkids from kindergarten through the 12th grade are invited to use any material or medium, as long as it can be photographed or displayed in a two-dimensional format. They're also asked to write about how they created the Doodle and how it represents their inner strength.
"We're asking students to creatively share how they keep moving forward when things get tough," Jane Woodall, brand manager for Google's Brand Studio, wrote in a blog post. "When you make mistakes or get scared, what helps you clear the clouds above your head? When people around you are feeling down, how do you use your inner strength to lift them up?"
The contest's winning submission will be featured on Google's home page for a day, one of the many Google Doodles that the company regularly uses to liven up the bare-bones company logo that usually occupies its search engine page. It's a high-profile spot for any artist, since that Doodle will garner hundreds of millions of views simply because of the prime position.
Along with the exposure, the winner will receive a $30,000 college scholarship and a $50,000 technology award for his or her school. The contest runs now through Feb. 26 and is open to all K-12 students based in the US, Guam, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.
Guest judges this year include Dav Pilkey, best-selling book author and illustrator of Dog Man and Captain Underpants fame, Grammy Award-winning producer and artist Peter CottonTale and 2020's National Teacher of the Year, Tabatha Rosproy.
Official rules and the entry form are available on Google's Doodle for Google web page.
