PLATO upcoming events

Lecture - Hidden Messages in Negro Spirituals on the Underground Railroad (September 08, 2026)

Tue, 08 Sep 2026 18:30:00 GMT

Tuesday, September 8 from 1:30-3:00 p.m.

Note: This event is on a Tuesday, not our usual Thursday lecture time

In-Person at Oakwood Village University Woods

Arts & Education Center

6205 Mineral Point Road

Registration is Not Required

FREE PARKING

Discover the hidden messages of the Underground Railroad through history and song. Join storyteller Connie Martin for a moving presentation that brings to life the courageous journeys of freedom seekers escaping slavery between 1850 and 1865. Through powerful Negro spirituals, Connie reveals how these songs carried secret messages that warned of danger and guided people along the Underground Railroad to freedom in Canada.

A sixth-generation descendant of enslaved Americans, she also shares remarkable stories preserved in her family's Bible from the 1850s, uncovering the lives of abolitionists and the secret escape routes that led from Kentucky through Illinois. Combining unforgettable music with compelling history, this inspiring program offers a deeply personal look at one of America's most extraordinary stories of courage, hope, and resilience.

Connie’s mother, Dr. Clarice Boswell, wrote a book, Lizzie’s Story: A Slave Family’s Journey to Freedom, which forms the foundation of her presentation.

Connie Martin is a retired middle school Language Arts teacher of 32 years, a 35-year Aqua Fitness Master Trainer, senior Fitness Instructor, mother, and G-Ma to four grandkids. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Illinois State University where her thesis was on Integrating African American History in Educational Curriculums.

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Transportation Options:

Bicycle: Bike racks are available

Bus: The BRT Route A bus runs every 15 minutes and stops in front of Oakwood at the Island/Mineral Point station.

Car:

Use the Island Drive entrance at 6205 Mineral Point Road.
Veer left and follow the drive to the 2nd driveway with sign “Heritage Oaks Parking Garage.”
Turn right into driveway.
Press the buzzer and the Oakwood desk attendant will buzz you in. There are 70 parking stalls. Park in any visitor or non-reserved stall. Take the elevator up one floor to the main entrance, turn right and walk through the mail box area into the lobby. Ask at the desk for directions to the Performing Arts Center.
When you exit the underground parking, the garage door opens automatically.
_________________________

Questions? Contact lecture organizer Barbara Drake at barbaradrake21@gmail.com

Lecture – The Power of Art in History (September 24, 2026)

Thu, 24 Sep 2026 18:30:00 GMT

The Power of Art in History

Thursday, September 24 from 1:30-3:00 p.m.

In-Person at Oakwood Village University Woods

Arts & Education Center

6205 Mineral Point Road

Registration is Not Required

FREE PARKING

Professor Alan Garfield has a long history of interest in and study of art history, including how art has impacted and reflected history, both ancient and more contemporary. He has also studied pieces of art considered masterpieces with a focus on how and why they have been given that designation. In his lecture he will share slides of art and point out why many are considered masterpieces in the world of art history.

Professor Alan Garfield, Emeritus, was Chair of the Digital Art and Design Department at the University of Dubuque, in Dubuque, Iowa USA. His formal education is eclectic including earning a bachelor’s degree from the University of Iowa, a master’s degree from State University of New York-Binghamton, and completing post graduate work at Wadham College, Oxford. As an art historian, his publications are also diverse, including papers on 2D and 3D animation algorithms, images in contemporary politics, 19th century French philosophies, Holocaust studies, Beat Generation poetry, and challenges in higher education. He recently chaired AI conferences in Cambridge University, Oxford University and Hull University. He now lives in Madison with his wife, Phyllis. They moved to Madison to grandparent their six-year-old and four-year-old grandsons. Because of their travels, they speak several languages (including Irish) and spend summers in Donegal, Ireland.

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Transportation Options:

Bicycle: Bike racks are available

Bus: The BRT Route A bus runs every 15 minutes and stops in front of Oakwood at the Island/Mineral Point station.

Car:

Use the Island Drive entrance at 6205 Mineral Point Road.
Veer left and follow the drive to the 2nd driveway with sign “Heritage Oaks Parking Garage.”
Turn right into driveway.
Press the buzzer and the Oakwood desk attendant will buzz you in. There are 70 parking stalls. Park in any visitor or non-reserved stall. Take the elevator up one floor to the main entrance, turn right and walk through the mail box area into the lobby. Ask at the desk for directions to the Performing Arts Center.
When you exit the underground parking, the garage door opens automatically.
_________________________

Questions? Contact lecture organizer Barbara Drake at barbaradrake21@gmail.com

Lecture – Forgiveness as a Way of Improving Well-Being (October 08, 2026)

Thu, 08 Oct 2026 18:30:00 GMT

Thursday, October 8 from 1:30-3:00 p.m.

In-Person at Oakwood Village University Woods

Arts & Education Center

6205 Mineral Point Road

Registration is Not Required

FREE PARKING

What if one of the greatest gifts you could give yourself—and others—is forgiveness? Join Dr. Robert Enright, a world-renowned University of Wisconsin–Madison professor and pioneer in the science of forgiveness, for an inspiring and uplifting presentation on how forgiveness can bring greater peace, hope, and healing to our lives. Drawing on decades of research and real-life experiences from around the world, Dr. Enright will share how forgiveness can strengthen relationships, ease emotional burdens, improve well-being, and even help heal divided communities. Whether you're facing a personal challenge, looking for ways to enrich your relationships, or simply curious about the power of forgiveness, you'll leave with fresh insights, practical ideas, and a deeper appreciation for how forgiveness can make a meaningful difference in your own life—and in our world.

Dr. Robert Enright holds the Aristotelian Professorship in Forgiveness Science within the Department of Educational Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, is a licensed psychologist, and founder of the International Forgiveness Institute, a non- profit organization dedicated to disseminating knowledge about forgiveness and community renewal through forgiveness. He was the first to publish an empirically based journal article on the topic of person-to-person forgiveness in 1989. For his innovative research on forgiveness, he received in 2022 what the American Psychological Association calls “psychology’s highest awards,” the APF Gold Medal Award for Impact in Psychology.

________________________________________

Transportation Options:

Bicycle: Bike racks are available

Bus: The BRT Route A bus runs every 15 minutes and stops in front of Oakwood at the Island/Mineral Point station.

Car:

Use the Island Drive entrance at 6205 Mineral Point Road.
Veer left and follow the drive to the 2nd driveway with sign “Heritage Oaks Parking Garage.”
Turn right into driveway.
Press the buzzer and the Oakwood desk attendant will buzz you in. There are 70 parking stalls. Park in any visitor or non-reserved stall. Take the elevator up one floor to the main entrance, turn right and walk through the mail box area into the lobby. Ask at the desk for directions to the Performing Arts Center.
When you exit the underground parking, the garage door opens automatically.
_________________________

Questions? Contact lecture organizer Barbara Drake at barbaradrake21@gmail.com