Meg’s Kiwiana doodle could bring her school big prize

CREATIVE KID: Meg Robinson’s Doodle 4 Google has been selected as one of 20 national finalists.

Doodling has earned St Thomas’ School student Meg Robinson a top 20 position in a national competition.

Now the Kohimarama youngster is calling on the east and bays community to get behind her and vote for her doodle.

Meg is one of thousands of children from 600 schools who entered New Zealand’s first Doodle 4 Google competition.

Google called for entries from every primary, intermediate and secondary school, challenging them to design a Google doodle inspired by the theme: My New Zealand.

The winning doodle will appear on the Google.co.nz homepage for one day in 2010 where it will be viewed by millions of users.

Twelve-year-old Meg is one of six finalists in the year 7-8 category. Her doodle includes a G with a silver fern, an O featuring an hokey pokey icecream cone and an L with a kiwi sitting on top of it.

It also includes a sheep, a rugby ball, a pohutukawa flower, the New Zealand flag and a bottle of L&P.

St Thomas’ year 7-8 team leader Nicky Brickland says everyone is thrilled with Meg’s success.

“She’s walking around school with a permanent smile on her face.”

Mrs Brickland says the school, which entered eight doodles from the year 7 and 8 group, is encouraging everyone to vote for Meg and a poster has been produced to help spread the word.

Google judges narrowed the doodles down to the top 20, which can be viewed at www.google.co.nz/doodle4 google.

Four age-group winners will be picked by public vote which closes on October 30. Each will win an interactive white board for their school and a laptop for themselves.

All students in the top 20 will be flown to the grand final event, being held in Wellington on November 5, where Dennis Hwang, Google’s original doodler, will select the overall winner from the four age-group winners. The winner will also get $10,000 worth of technology equipment for their school.

- What are Google doodles? The customisation of the Google logo started in 1999. Dennis Hwang and the Google doodle team have since celebrated events, anniversaries and holidays worldwide – including Anzac Day and  Sir Edmund Hillary’s ascent of Mt Everest.