I jumped on my computer this morning and this contest pulled up on the main page of Google and I just have to say I LOVE IT! The premise of the contest is students K-12 need to design a Google logo with the theme of making the planet better. Not only does this get students to think about how they would make the world better, but also why that would make the world a better place. It’s not enough just to say everyone should eat peanut butter M&Ms everyday and that would make the world a better place, but why would that make the world a better place. (Personally, I’m all for this plan!!). Additionally, students need to be artistic and communicate their ideas in a picture. One of the most amazing things I learned in my very short teaching career was that the power of artistic vision and being able to reach students through this – and it’s not something the school system seems to appreciate, otherwise they would still be funding these programs if they saw their value.
I also love that there aren’t a lot of details on how the students should make the world better because the possibilities are endless!! It’s sort of amazing to see what children and students pick up from watching the TV, listening to their parents, or even just being at school and how they interpret that information into their own thoughts and ideas. The deadline is for submissions is the 20th of March so there’s still time if you know of any students who would like to participate. The winner gets a $30,000 college scholarship and that student’s school will also win $50,000 in a technology grant, and the winner’s drawing will be posted on Google for 24 hours that will I assume will accompany a huge story attached to it! Big bucks to make a small difference!
