Doodle for Google 2021 winner announced, will be shown on homepage tomorrow

Kyle Bradshaw | Jun 14 2021 - 6:30 am PT

Doodle for Google 2021, created by 11th grader Milo Golding

The 2021 Doodle for Google competition, which lets K-12 students design an inspirational “Doodle,” has come to a close, and the winner will be shown on the Google homepage tomorrow.

Each year’s Doodle for Google competition has a specific theme, and this year’s theme was “I am strong because…” K-12 students across the United States created and submitted artwork that speaks to their interpretation of the theme.

From there, 54 submissions were chosen, one from each state and US territory, and Google opened up voting to choose the best Doodle. Finally, the highest-voted Doodles in each grade group were chosen as the finalists for Google’s panel of judges to pick the winner.

As announced on the Keyword Blog, the Doodle for Google 2021 winner is 11th grader Milo Golding from Lexington, Kentucky, for his piece titled “Finding Hope.” Set to debut on the Google homepage on June 15, the artwork primarily depicts a teenage boy offering a balloon to a younger child.

This scene is joined by few other hopeful, colorful moments that stand in bold contrast to a black and white background that seems to reflect the confusing feelings many of us experience in life. In an interview, Milo explained his personal connection to the Doodle’s core message.

Both of my parents are immigrants. My father immigrated to the U.S. from Jamaica and my mother from China. I grew up in a rural community in eastern Kentucky, and after my dad passed away my purpose in life really shifted. It’s important to me to help other children in need in my community who might have gone through something similar.
I started a charity a few years ago called Sanguine Path. We serve children 18 and under who have lost loved ones or been affected by challenging experiences by providing them with Christmas and birthday gifts, care packages and back-to-school kits. Family members, school staff, grief counselors or parents and guardians can refer children to the program.

As a prize, Google is giving Milo a $30,000 college scholarship, a $50,000 donation to his school or nonprofit organization of his choice, and a package of Google hardware and swag.