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PLATO Weekly Update
August 18, 2026
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CURRICULUM
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FALL COURSES
NEW! Registration for Fall Courses begins today! Visit the Courses webpage to find the link to the Fall Course Schedule. There are 36 Fall Courses to choose from including in-person, virtual, and hybrid options. Most Fall Courses will begin the Week of September 14.
CURRICULUM SHOWCASE
Learn about efforts during the last few months to automate the course registration process in this previously shared Curriculum Showcase article. This new process is in response to member feedback and was tested out in a pilot program over the summer with select courses. The feedback was positive and many course coordinators chose to try this online registration option this fall.
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To renew or to become a member, visit the Join PLATO webpage.
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SPECIAL EVENTS
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NOON ZOOM
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NEXT MONTH! Join retired WPR talk show host Joy Cardin and the Director of the Marquette Law School Poll Charles Franklin for a Noon Zoom discussionabout polling, politics, and public opinion on Tuesday, September 1 from 12-1pm. Registration is required and members can register a guest. Learn more and register here.
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LECTURES
SAVE THE DATES! These September Lectures are just around the corner:
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NEXT MONTH! Hidden Messages in Negro Spirituals on the Underground Railroad on Tuesday, September 8 from 1:30-3pm at Oakwood Village University Woods Arts and Education Center. In this moving presentation, Connie Martin will reveal how these songs carried secret messages that warned of danger and guided people along the Underground Railroad to freedom in Canada. Registration is not required, guests are welcome, and parking is free. Learn more here.
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NEXT MONTH! The Power of Art in History on Thursday, September 24from 1:30-3pm at Oakwood Village University Woods Arts and Education Center. In this dynamic lecture, Professor Alan Garfield share slides of what many consider masterpieces in the world of art history and discuss how and why they have been given that designation. Registration is not required, guests are welcome, and parking is free. Learn more here.
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BREAKFAST & COFFEE GATHERINGS + A LUNCH HOUR MEET-UP
These social events offer members and their guests opportunities to share conversation over coffee or breakfast and lunch options.
NOTE: Third Friday Lunch Hour Meet-Up at the Great Dane Pub on the East Side on Jupiter Drive on is cancelled for this week.
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NEXT WEEK! Fourth Friday Coffee at the Rotunda Café on August 28 from 9:30-11:30am. Learn more and RSVP here.
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FIELD TRIPS
SOLD OUT! Limnology Lake Tour via pontoon boat on Wednesday, September 2, 2026 from 5-8pm is now full. Learn more and join the waitlist here.
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BIKE RIDES
Explore Madison's neighborhoods with self-guided bicycling routes – there's also electric bike rental info. Also, heads up! The popular bicycling route around Lake Monona has a detour until the summer of 2027 due to construction on John Nolen Drive. To learn about the detour along with details about the entire route, see PLATO's A Guide to Bicycling around Lake Monona with the Detour.
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REMINDER... As of August 1, we have entered a new membership year! If you have not renewed yet, your membership has lapsed. Renew today to take advantage of the mix of in-person and virtual courses, lectures and social activities this fall and into next year – dues are just $60 per person!
There's a reason PLATO's membership has once again surpassed 1,000 members... PLATO is thriving! Since June 2025, PLATO has offered more than 100 Courses; 26 Field/Theater Trips; 15 Lectures; more than 50 Social Gatherings, and more! Lapsed members may renew here and new members may visit the Join PLATO webpage to become members.
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STAY IN THE KNOW! While PLATO’s course offerings are consistently cited as the number one reason that members join PLATO, there are many benefits to membership. To make the most of your PLATO membership, visit the About PLATO webpage.
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