DID YOU KNOW? for August 11 – 24, 2026

“American innovation has been fueled by immigrant inventors – without immigrants and the influx of knowledge brought by them to our country’s shores, American innovation and the overall economy would look nothing like it does today. Simply put, foreign immigration fuels American innovation.

"Immigrants often have science and engineering degrees, or they attend U.S. universities to further their educational dreams, and immigrants obtain patents at twice the rate of native Americans, according to the 2003 National Survey of College Graduates.

"While the United States isn’t the world’s largest destination for foreign immigrants, we do take in 57.1 percent of the world’s inventor community, according to statistics reported from the World Intellectual Property Organization. Moreover, a report from the bipartisan Partnership for a New Economy found that in 2011, 76 percent of the patents earned by the top 10 patenting American universities listed a foreign inventor."

Excerpts from article by Steve Brachmann Freelance Columnist, IPWatchdog.org

DID YOU KNOW? for July 21 –  August 10, 2026

DID YOU KNOW? for July 7 –  20, 2026

Did you know that PLATO's Education Fund supports the UW Odyssey Project? This award-winning UW-Madison program takes a whole-family approach to breaking the cycle of generational poverty through access to education, giving  adult and youth learners a voice, and increasing confidence. Learn more about the UW-Madison Odyssey project here and the PLATO Education Fund here.

DID YOU KNOW? for June 23 – July 6, 2026

Alan Turing (1912–1954) was a gay scientist who succeeded in breaking the Nazi Enigma code during World War II. He also designed the Turing Machine, the basis for modern computers. Homosexuality was illegal at this time in England, and Turing was arrested for "indecency" in 1952. He pled guilty and his punishment included hormone injections which left him impotent. Learn more about Alan Turing here.

DID YOU KNOW? for June 2 – 22, 2026

Luis von Ahn, an award-winning Guatemalan computer scientist and co-founder of Duolingo, developed CAPTCHA (Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart) as a PhD student at Carnegie Mellon University in 2000. Luis von Ahn shared the technology with Yahoo for free because the company was struggling to keep automated spammers at bay. Learn more about Luis von Ahn in this article about Latino inventors and on Wikipedia.

DID YOU KNOW? for May 19 – June 1, 2026

Nancy Leftenant-Colon (September 29, 1920 – January 8, 2025) was the first Black nurse to serve in the U.S. Army. After completing nursing school in 1941, she was told the military did not accept Black women. It took seven years for Leftenant-Colon to finally be accepted in 1948, shortly before President Truman signed an executive order to desegregate the armed forces.

DID YOU KNOW? for May 5 – 18, 2026

Did you know that one of the local community programs that PLATO's Education Fund supports is Lussier Community Education Center? PLATO's annual donation supports educational programming for elementary and middle school students to help prepare them for success. Drawing in generations of community members from all walks of life to take care of one another and create a more just, healthy, and vibrant community. Learn more about Lussier Community Education Center here. 

The PLATO Education Fund was established in 2012 to provide financial assistance to low-income adult students pursuing a college education, and to support educational opportunities for learners of all ages through local community organizations. During the past 13 years PLATO has granted over $400,000 to fund scholarships for returning adult students at UW-Madison, as well as support for the Odyssey Project, the Badger Ready Program and local educational programs for youth and adults which currently include CLIMB USA, Literacy Network, Lussier Community Education Center, and Maydm. Learn more about PLATO's Education Fund here.

DID YOU KNOW? for April 21 – May 4, 2026

Luis E. Miramontes (March 16, 1925 – September 13, 2004) was a Mexican chemist and inventor. Miramontes was a young doctoral student in Mexico City when he achieved the first synthesis of “norethisterone”, the key to the first oral contraceptive. Throughout his extensive scientific career, he produced 40 national and international patents in various areas including organic chemistry, pharmaceutical chemistry, atmospheric chemistry, and more. Learn more about Luis E. Miramontes here and here.

DID YOU KNOW? for April 7 – 20, 2026

DID YOU KNOW that Maydm is one of the local community programs that PLATO's Education Fund supports? This funding supports Maydm'sability to host immersive after school programs and workshops designed to enhance the STEM skills of middle and high school students in Madison. Inspiring and equipping students with the skills, confidence, and opportunities they need to succeed in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics to make strides toward a more inclusive and innovative STEM field! Learn more about Maydm here. 

The PLATO Education Fund was established in 2012 to provide financial assistance to low-income adult students pursuing a college education, and to support educational opportunities for learners of all ages through local community organizations. During the past 13 years PLATO has granted over $400,000 to fund scholarships for returning adult students at UW-Madison, as well as support for the Odyssey Project, the Badger Ready Program and local educational programs for youth and adults which currently include CLIMB USA, Literacy Network, Lussier Community Education Center, and Maydm. Learn more about PLATO's Education Fund here.

DID YOU KNOW? for March 24 – April 6, 2026

Thomas David Petite (born May 30, 1956) is a Native American inventor with more than 100 patents pending. A member of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa tribe, Petite is a founder of the Native American Intellectual Property Enterprise Council, a non-profit organization helping Native American inventors and communities. Learn more about this visionary, technological thinker here and here.