PLATO Weekly Update

October 1, 2024

CURRICULUM

FALL COURSES

· Have a question about a Fall Course? Find everything you need to know on the Courses page. 

· 12 of our Fall Courses have unlimited participation and may still accept registrations – email the PLATO office for this course list and contact the course coordinator to register.

SPECIAL EVENTS

FIELD TRIP

NEW! Tour of the Wisconsin State Capitol on Thursday, November 7 from 12:00-12:55pm. Join us for a free guided tour at the Wisconsin State Capitol. Learn about the purpose of the spaces, the architecture, the artwork, the stone, and the history of the building. Guided by PLATO Board member Steve Sparks, who is also a Capitol Tour Guide! Registration is required and members may bring a guest. Learn more and register here.

NEXT WEEK! Madison Metropolitan Sewer District Treatment Plant Tour on Friday, October 11 from 1:00-2:15pm. MMSD's treatment plant handles about 40 million gallons a day! Learn how those 40 million gallons can be recycled into reusable water and nutrients for plants and soil in a 75-minute tour. The tour will encourage you to think about responsible water use, the products we use, and how everyday choices can help protect our water. Registration is required and members may bring a guest. Learn more and register here.

LECTURE

History & Stories of Wisconsin's One Room Schools on Tuesday, October 22 from 1:30-3:00pm at Oakwood Village University Woods Campus. A retired teacher and educator, Susan Apps-Bodilly, will take us back to the long-ago days when Wisconsin's rural children attended a one room school. During this interactive talk, Susan will also share about how she researched and gathered stories for the book. Registration is not required and parking is free. Members may bring a guest! Learn more here.

BREAKFAST GATHERING 
NEXT WEEK! Second Friday Breakfast – enjoy conversation, coffee and breakfast snacks with fellow members on Friday, October 11 from 9:30 - 11:30am at Lakeside Street 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. Guests are welcome, so feel free to bring a friend who may be interested in PLATO! Learn more and RSVP here.

LECTURES
Explore recorded PLATO Lectures on many interesting topics!

PLATO EDUCATION FUND ANNUAL GIVING
Watch your mailbox – materials coming soon!

Please consider contributing to PLATO's Education Fund which provides scholarships for returning adult students at UW-Madison, and supports the UW- Department of Continuing Education's Badger Ready program, the Odyssey Project, as well as four local community programs. Learn more about this year's scholarship recipients and local community programs and how to donate online or via snail mail. Many thanks to those who have already donated!

THE AGORA FEATURES
PLATO's Literary & Fine Arts Journal, The Agora,
celebrates members’ creativity and diversity of thought

Visit The Agora Features webpage for highlights from this past season, created and curated by fellow PLATO members for your enjoyment.

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

DID YOU KNOW? for October 1 ­– 14, 2024 

Elijah McCoy (May 2, 1844 – October 10, 1929) was born in Canada, to parents who had fled slavery. McCoy trained as an engineer in Scotland as a teenager. Unable to find an engineering position in the United States, he worked for a railroad and later invented a lubrication device to make railroad operations more efficient.

Visit the Social Justice page for more about Elijah McCoy and past DID YOU KNOW? Features.

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