Google has launched its Doodle for Google (or Doodle 4 Google) competition for kids (students in kindergarten and all the way up to grade 12 are eligible). The theme of this year’s competition is “What I wish for the world” and the winner will get a $15,000 college scholarship. Contestants are being asked to create a “doodle” that symbolizes the aforementioned theme. The winner’s creation will be featured on Google’s home page on May 21, 2009.
Doodle for Google (Doodle 4 Google): Corporate Philanthropy Happens
News of corporate generosity definitely strikes a chord in this economic climate. Especially since many Americans are contemptuous of corporations and rightfully hold them at least partly responsible for the cratering economy. Indeed, the economic downturn and Wall Steet’s reckless role in helping to precipitate it makes people forget that American corporations can indeed be charitable and, in fact, have a rich history of altruistic behavior.
On the historic role of corporate giving, College Scholarship.org has this to say: “Over the last 50 years in the US much wealth has been consolidated and controlled by corporations. Some of them have decided to give back, realizing that they can only continue to grow and improve if they can make their field sound interesting to the best and brightest minds.” So, you see, corporate America cannot only be characterized as having an unbridled lust for profits; it does, in fact, give something back. For instance, as much as Wal Mart is maligned in the media, it has, as College Scholarship.org notes, “established a tradition and corporate ethos that drives many charitable pursuits… including scholarship programs.”
Doodle for Google (Doodle 4 Google): Google, ExxonMobil and other Philanthropic Corporations
But Wal Mart and Google are just two of many huge American corporations that are philanthropic. ExxonMobil, for example, offers a wide range of scholarships. These include scholarships for students in Singapore (where one of the company’s corporate headquarters are located), and, in the states, ExxonMobil offers scholarships to minority students who are interested in pursuing careers in math and engineering (where they are underrepresented).
The mighty Coca-Cola has proven itself to be much more than a hugely successful and iconic soft drink company. The soda behemoth gives out numerous annual scholarships to high school students who are interested in going to college, and, in addition, the company makes available The Johnston Legacy Scholars Program, which has been specifically designed for students who interested in attending a 2-year college. Indeed, Doodle for Google is just one of many opportunities that huge corporations make available to those in need.
Sources:
Doodle for Google is Doodle 4 Google Kids $15K Reward, Mike Baron, The Post Chronicle, February 3, 2009
College Scholarship.org
