Not only does Google believe in creativity and innovation, but they also believe in the future leaders of tomorrow. Google said, "We love to encourage and celebrate the creativity of young people, and we are always excited to see the range of inspiring doodles that are submitted." And with all of the recent budget cuts in education, it's so refreshing to see such a global leader investing in our future - which brings us to today's post. (Disclaimer: It's not the typical crazy ramblings, but hopefully it will at least leave you with a smile and spark your imaginations ... which is still pretty Marcy in essence, no? Unless of course you hate art, then proceeding from here will neither make you smile, nor give you an ounce of inspiration; it may just bore you to tears. In which case, may I suggest you stop reading this post and check out one listed on The Crazy Craze over there on the left?) This year, Google partnered with The Whitney Museum of American Art, The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, and Girl Scouts to host their 4th Doodle 4 Google competition.
From the Doodle 4 Google Homepage:
At Google, we believe that dreaming about future possibilities leads to tomorrow’s leaders and inventors, so this year we invited U.S. kids to exercise their creative imaginations around the theme, "What I’d like to do someday…"
Whether students wanted to find a cure for cancer or take a trip to the moon, it all started with art supplies and some 8.5" x 11" paper. One lucky student artist will take home a $15,000 college scholarship and $25,000 technology grant for their school, among many other prizes.
K-12 students all over the U.S. doodled their dreams for Google. By the March 16 deadline, Google received over 107,000 entries (almost 75,000 more entries than the previous year). Along with their Doodles, each contestant had to submit a brief statement explaining the Doodle 4 Google theme: "What I'd like to do someday ..."
40 Regional Finalists were then selected for the voting process based on the following criteria:
- Artistic merit: based on grade group and artistic skill
- Creativity: based on the representation of the theme and use of the Google logo
- Theme communication: how well the theme is expressed
- Appropriateness of the supporting statement
Here's where you come in, dear friends and strangers - the polls are open and it's time for a little voting! You can help select the winning Doodle that will be displayed on the Google Homepage. You will be voting on the 40 Regional Finalists which will determine the 4 National Finalists. Public voting is open through the end of this week, so you have until Friday, May 13, 2011 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time. Google will announce the National Winner at an awards ceremony in New York on May 19, 2011 and the winning Doodle (which you helped pick) will be displayed front and center on Google.com, May 20, 2011. Take a second or two to check out all of these talented young artists and cast your vote for each grade group. It's truly impressive!
Here are my favorites from each group:
Grades K - 3
"Space Life"
By Matteo Lopez, age 7
Monte Verde Elementary School
South San Francisco, California
"What I'd like to do someday ... is become an astronaut and explore space life. I want to wear a space suit, fly in space, walk on the moon and make friends with aliens in other planets."
I love the little alien on the G.
Grades 4 - 6
"Smile for Life"
By Omar Amin, age 11
Kings Glen Elementary School
Burke, Virginia
"What I'd like to do someday ... As the sun shines and spring blooms around me, I enter my clinic. This clinic is built upon my dreams of dentistry and desire to help people smile beautifully. My mission and dream: help each and every patient of mine to have a sparkling smile."
Ya can't argue with a smile! It's simple, but well executed - love the style. And, he ties it together with a great supporting statement.
Grades 7 - 9
"The Majestic Sea"
By Justas Varpucanskis, age 13
Mokena Junior High School
Mokena, Illinois
"What I'd like to do someday... is to take part in the conservation of our underwater universe. There is no doubt the last decades were an environmental catastrophe. The underwater world is a haven for many sea creatures, thus being crucial to our existence. We need to preserve our underwater ecosystem."
This is just crazy good - I love the detail and intense colors. The water at the top of the drawing even looks ripply! This kiddo is obviously a talented artist and is very passionate about a great cause.
Grades 10 - 12
"Google Noir"
By Megan Kelchner, age 16
Tiverton High School
Tiverton, Rhode Island
"The Google sign looks like an unfinished comic, pens and pencils still on the paper. This expresses the theme "what I'd like to do someday" because I wish to be an illustrator."
I picked this one solely on the level of artistic skill. It looks like she took a picture of her work-in-progress with the pen, pencil, and eraser still on the table. This would be my favorite over all if the artist provided a more in-depth supporting statement expressing the theme instead of just describing the picture. But come on, it's an insanely good Doodle.
Pretty cool, huh? Go vote!
And if you're bored / curious about all the previous Google Doodles, it's Google Time, baby!
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