You Can Win Up To $50,000 By Entering The ‘Doodle For Google’ Contest

Love the Google Doodles that you see each day when you go to Google.com? We do, too! It makes our web searches a little more fun and colorful.

From commemorating things like “this day in history” to the birthdays of past notable figures to holidays in the U.S. and worldwide, these animated doodles are always as informative as they are visually impressive.

Below, check out an example of a Google Doodle designed to commemorate Hinamatsuri, or Girl’s Day, in Japan.

What you may not have noticed, however, is that once a year, Google puts on a “Doodle for Google” contest. Students can create their own doodle for the chance to win money and have their work featured on Google’s homepage.

Students in kindergarten through grade 12 can enter this contest, which takes place now through March 18. Teachers can also enter on behalf of their students. The guidelines for what the students can submit are quite broad, leaving room for students to express their creativity.

Artists can use any materials they want, and they can doodle anything that inspires them. To enter, you need to submit several items, including the entry form, the doodle itself and an artist statement about how the doodle represents something that inspires them.

According to the website, submissions will be judged based on artistic merit, creativity and theme communication. The finalists will be chosen on a state-by-state basis, with a panel of Google executives selecting the national winner. Google will display the winner’s doodle on its homepage for the day. The national winner will also receive a $30,000 college scholarship, a $50,000 technology package for their school or non-profit organization, a trip to the Google headquarters in California and plenty of Google swag and gear.

Take a look at the video below for some inspiration and information about last year’s winner:

Last year was the competition’s 10th anniversary. Out of hundreds of thousands of submissions, a second grader named Sarah Gomez-Lane won with an imaginative “dino doodle.” Sarah was the first contestant to go on to collaborate with the Google team to bring her creation to animated life.

Another cool fact? Jimmy Fallon was one of the guest judges, alongside the 2018 National Teacher of the Year, Mandy Manning.

If you know any teachers or students interested in this fun competition, check out the full guidelines and rules on Google’s website.