 Active almost 40 years, the PLATO Society is the oldest lifelong learning institute in the western United States.Its pioneering efforts created institute networking organizations which helped new lifelong learning institutes get established more easily, resulting in their rapid spread throughout the USA.Educator Elizabeth L. Cless founded the PLATO Society of UCLA in 1980, in conjunction with UCLA Extension, based on her study and proposal for a self-directed, self-governing lifelong learning institute.