PLATO Weekly Update

December 5, 2023

CURRICULUM

WINTER COURSES
NEXT WEEK! On Tuesday, December 12 the Winter 2024 Course Schedule will be available on the Courses webpage and registration will open the same day. 

NEXT MONTH! Most Winter Courses will begin the week of January 8 – there will be nine courses to choose from, including in-person and virtual options.  

SPECIAL EVENTS

TODAY! Tuesday, December 5 – From the Holocaust to Civil Rights: Film and Lecture from 1:30 – 3:00pm at Oakwood Village West. Three sisters present the story of their pilgrimage to Germany and France to retrace their grandmother's history. Registration is not required. Learn more here.

BREAKFAST GATHERING
THIS WEEK! Second Friday Breakfast – enjoy coffee, breakfast snacks, and conversation on Friday, December 8 from 9:30 – 11:30am at Lakeside St. Coffee House. Seating is on both the main floor and downstairs levels. You will need to climb a flight of steps in order to be seated on the downstairs level. Feel free to bring a guest! Learn more and RSVP here.

NOTE: Fourth Friday Breakfasts are on hiatus until January 26, 2024.

THEATER TRIP
THIS WEEK! Scrooge The Musical! at The Fireside Theater on Friday, December 8. Registration for this trip has closed. Review trip details here.

FIELD TRIP
NEXT WEEK! Saturday, December 16 from 10:30 – 12:30pm: A Guided Indoor Walking Tour at Epic. Registration for this trip has closed – join the waitlist here.

LECTURES
During Fall 2023, two popular online PLATO courses continued to meet to learn about and discuss current environmental, economic and political challenges. These sessions are available 24/7 as recorded PLATO Lectures for your viewing convenience! Recent topics included electric vehicles, artificial intelligence, The Badger Project, the geopolitics of energy, discussions on current events featuring several local elected representatives and other leaders in the Dane County community. Big thanks to the participants of Pathways to a Sustainable Planet and Whither the State for continuing to offer these valuable courses! 

PLATO EDUCATION FUND ANNUAL GIVING

IF YOU ARE IN A POSITION TO SHARE... please consider contributing to PLATO's Education Fund to provide scholarships for returning adult students at UW-Madison, as well as supporting the UW/DCS Badger Ready program, the Odyssey Project, and four additional local community programs. Learn more about this year's scholarship recipients and local community programs and how to donate online or mail. Many thanks to those who have already donated!

THE AGORA
PLATO's Literary & Fine Arts Journal,
celebrating members’ creativity and diversity of thought

Published biannually, The Agora is created by PLATO members and published for members and the community through a juried selection process. The Agora, Volume 8, is available for download on The Agora webpage.

SOCIAL JUSTICE EVENTS & READINGS
Select from a range of topics and formats 
for your fall reading, viewing, or listening pleasure,
curated by PLATO's Diversity Awareness Committee. 

DID YOU KNOW? for November 28 – December 11, 2023 

Granville T. Woods (April 23, 1856 – January 30, 1910), nicknamed "Black Edison”, was an inventor who held various engineering and industrial jobs before establishing an electric apparatus company. Woods registered more than 50 patents in his lifetime! He was best known for inventing the induction telegraph in 1887. 

Visit the Social Justice page for more about Granville T. Woods
or past DID YOU KNOW? features.

DID YOU KNOW? – spotlighting notable historic events and contributions made by non-mainstream individuals you might not have learned or read about. Suggestions for inclusions are welcome (send to Kathy at: ksmichaelis@gmail.com).