Study Discussion Groups (SDGs) are the heart of what we offer our members

The PLATO Society convenes peer-led Study Discussion Groups (SDGs) each term, sustaining rigorous, text-based inquiry across the liberal arts & sciences. Designed and facilitated by members, SDGs emphasize close reading, analysis, and collegial debate in seminar format.

Member Created & Led,
Small Group, Courses

Each week a different member is responsible for leading the discussion. Our courses, no matter the subject, are discussion, not lecture-based, and depend on the active participation of all.

We Offer
Four Categories

  • Arts & Literature
  • Social Science
  • History
  • Science & Technology

Course Length
& Timing

We have 3 terms: Winter, Spring/Summer and Fall
‍
Offer 20+ SDGs per term.

Courses vary in length from 7-14 weeks.

Our Current SDGs - Spring 2026

Monday

10AM - 12PM

24 Fascinating Episodes of PBS Nova Series - Zoom
details

Monday

10AM - 12PM

24 Fascinating Episodes of PBS Nova Series - Gayley
details

Monday

10AM - 12PM

The Films and Legacy of Robert Redford - Zoom
details

Monday

1PM - 3PM

Between Dublin and Bloomsbury: Short Fiction with Joyce and Woolf - Gayley
details

Monday

1PM - 3PM

Art on the Screen: 10 Movies about Artists Worth Seeing - Gayley
details

Monday

1PM - 3PM

Arthur Miller - Gayley
details

Tuesday

10AM - 12PM

The Works and Tempestuous Life of Oscar Wilde - Gayley
details

Tuesday

10AM - 12PM

The Rise and Spectacular Fall of the Real Knights Templar - Gayley
details

Tuesday

1PM - 3PM

We the People: A History of the U.S. Constitution - Zoom
details

Tuesday

1PM - 3PM

We the People: A History of the U.S. Constitution - Gayley
details

Tuesday

1PM - 3PM

Computing Power Drives the Future - Zoom
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Tuesday

1PM - 3PM

Henry James Goes To The Movies - Gayley
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Tuesday

1PM - 3PM

An African History of Africa - Gayley
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Wednesday

10AM - 12PM

How Collaboration and Curiosity Shaped Humankind - Gayley
details

Wednesday

10AM - 12PM

The Best TED Talks 2.0 - Zoom
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Wednesday

10AM - 12PM

The Modern Jewish Experience in World Cinema - Gayley
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Wednesday

10AM - 12PM

The Art of Memoir - Gayley
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Wednesday

1PM - 3PM

Stateless: The Roma and the Kurds - Gayley
details

Wednesday

1PM - 3PM

Stateless: The Roma and the Kurds - Zoom
details

Thursday

10AM - 12PM

American Foreign Policy and the CIA in the 21st Century - Zoom
details

Thursday

10AM - 12PM

Russians Among Us - Zoom
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Thursday

10AM - 12PM

Trees: Our future and theirs. Plus, a practicum on how to identify trees - Gayley
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Thursday

10AM - 12PM

A History of California - Zoom
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Thursday

1PM - 3PM

Science under Siege - Zoom
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Thursday

1PM - 3PM

The Dead Sea Scrolls - Zoom
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Thursday

1PM - 3PM

The Dead Sea Scrolls - Gayley
details
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2nd Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90024
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