Google use their homepage logo designs, or doodles, to celebrate different people, events or special dates. These doodles are usually created by their Google web designers. However, for the fourth year running they're inviting Irish students to create their own doodle by taking part in the Doodle 4 Google competition, where they can design a Google logo based on the theme of “I wish”.

The competition is open to all primary and secondary school students across the Republic of Ireland.

The winning Doodle will appear on Google Ireland’s homepage for 24 hours in March 2012. Along with this, the student and their teacher will both win personal laptops and their school will win a €10,000 technology grant.

“We are really excited by this year’s theme ‘I wish’, which allows children to be as open and as creative as their imaginations will allow,” said John Herlihy, head of Google Ireland.

Last year's winner was Six-year-old Layla Karpuz from Mary Mother of Hope Junior National School (see her winning logo above). Both Layla and her teacher won a state-of-the art Dell laptop and with the grant for €10,000 they were able to further equip their school with the latest technology.

A panel of judges, including Ray Yates, Dublin City Arts Officer, Gary Granville, professor of education at the National College of Art and Design and children’s author Tom McCaughren, will narrow down the entrants to 75 finalists. There are five categories which groups classes of similar ages with each other.

Schools must register for the competition by 28 October and must submit entries by 9 December.

One member of staff from each school should register on behalf of the school.

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