8th Grade Students Invited to Apply for the 2026 Select 58 Recognition Award

The Education Foundation of Downers Grove Grade School District 58 invites all eighth grade students to apply for the 2026 Select 58 Recognition Award, a proud District 58 tradition that celebrates outstanding service, leadership, and citizenship. This program provides a meaningful opportunity for students to reflect on their middle school experience and the positive impact they have made in their school and community.

All Herrick and O’Neill eighth graders who are passing their classes are eligible to apply. The application deadline is Friday, March 13. By that date, students must submit the online Select 58 Award application and request a letter of recommendation from a non-relative. Students can access the application and view full program details at https://dg58.us/Select58.

Applications will be evaluated by a panel of judges unaffiliated with each middle school using a standardized rubric, and student identities will remain confidential during the review process. The top-scoring applicants from each middle school will receive the Select 58 Recognition Award.

Applicants will be notified of their status by Monday, April 20. Award recipients will be invited to attend the 2026 Select 58 Award Ceremony on Wednesday, May 13 at 6:30 p.m. at Herrick Middle School. In addition to the ceremony, recipients will be honored in a celebratory video, receive local gift cards, and be recognized in the Eighth Grade Promotion Ceremony program.

For questions, please contact Herrick Middle School Principal Dr. Steve Perkins at 630-719-5810 or sperkins@dg58.org, or O’Neill Middle School Principal Lauryn Humphris at 630-719-5815 or lhumphris@dg58.org.