Simplified Qualification Procedures - DNA Practicum

Announcing: Expanded, Simplified DNA Practicum Prerequisites

We recognize that many genealogists qualify to take this highly-specific course, but not all have reached an advanced level of research with sufficient background knowledge through the same path.

To simplify the qualification procedure for the All-DNA Virtual Advanced Analysis Practicum, course coordinator Angela Packer McGhie has included a few additional examples to the list. 

For those who do not meet both of the prerequisites as presently published, she will also accept a "summary of education and experience" in lieu of a paper. Students may register now, with either the paper or the summary due July 20th.

If you have already registered, and the expanded list removes your need to submit a paper or summary, please notify the registrar so they can update your enrollment.

Introduction to Genetic Genealogy with Paul Woodbury, MEd

In this hands-on course, students will master the basics of genetic genealogy research through hands-on application in a variety of investigative contexts. They will create testing plans incorporating such elements as which individuals to test, the types of tests to take and the companies to be used. They will also evaluate chances of success and needs for additional testing for a research objective given a set of test results, develop research plans given a set of DNA test results, and learn to abide by genetic genealogy ethics and standards. Participants will practice basic interpretation of Y-DNA, mitochondrial DNA, X-DNA and autosomal DNA evidence within the context of traditional document research and evaluation of Y-DNA and mtDNA.

Paul will be joined by the following additional instructors:

• Angie Bush, MS
• Melissa A. Johnson, CG
• Gretchen Jorgensen
• Karen Stanbary, MA, LCSW, CG

Students will identify and evaluate likely relationships based on shared autosomal DNA and tree data, as well as explore possible sources of shared DNA for X-DNA matches. They will also interpret ethnicity reports for Y-DNA, mitochondrial DNA, and autosomal DNA test results and formulate estimates regarding ethnic origins of the first few generations of ancestry. 

Additional skills participants will gain will include performing modern research, creating “quick and dirty” trees in the pursuit of an objective, collaborating and corresponding with genetic cousins, correctly citing genetic genealogy sources, organizing research to enable discovery, evaluating which approaches and methodologies would be best to utilize in a given research case, and incorporating DNA evidence into genealogical proof arguments.

Students should have experience in intermediate research in traditional genealogy and access to the test results of one autosomal DNA test.

For more information, go here.

In 2020, Celebrate 25 Years with SLIG!

In January 2020, the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG) is celebrating 25 years -- its silver anniversary -- of bringing quality instruction to students to elevate their genealogical education to new heights.

SLIG will be held starting Sunday, January 12th, and concluding with a banquet on Friday, January 17th. The following fifteen courses are available:

• Course 1: Settlers in the New World and Immigrants to a New Nation: Colonial Times to 1900
• Course 2: Guide to Treasures Found in Federal Records
• Course 3: Early US Church Records
• Course 4: Advanced Research Tools: Land Records
• Course 5: Corpus Juris: Advanced Legal Concepts for Genealogy
• Course 6: Virginia from the Colonial Period to the Civil War: Her Records, Her People, Her Laws
• Course 7: Maryland: Researching in the Old Line State
• Course 8: Chinese Ancestry: Research Methods and Sources
• Course 9: Advanced Hispanic Research
• Course 10: Introduction to Genetic Genealogy
• Course 11: Meeting Standards Using DNA Evidence--Research Strategies
• Course 12: Researching Like a Professional
• Course 13: Applying Standards to Appraise Genealogical Work
• Course 14: Advanced Genealogical Methods
• Course 15: Technical Writing for Genealogists 

The Academy will be held the following week, January 19th to the 24th, and the following seven courses are available:

• Academy Course 1: The Art of Writing Client Reports
• Academy Course 2: You're Invited: Public Speaking from Concept to Delivery
• Academy Course 3: Building and Nurturing a Successful Genealogy Business
• Academy Course 4: DNA for the 21st-Century Professional
• Academy Course 5: Fundamentals of Forensic Genealogy
• Academy Course 6: Writing and Documenting for Peer Review
• Academy Course 7: Project Management Essentials for the Professional Genealogist

Registration for SLIG will open at 9:00 am MDT on Saturday, July 13th, with registration for the Academy opening at 2:00 pm MDT.

To facilitate quick check-out with your course, special events are added to
your registration separately.

Lodging reservations also open on July 13th.

Learn How to Build and Nurture a Successful Genealogy Business

Thinking about opening a genealogy business? Interested in improving your existing business? This course is for you.

Jeanne Larzalere Bloom, CG; Teresa Steinkamp McMillin; and Angela Packer McGhie will work with students through active interaction and participation. At the end of the week, each student will have a unique business plan crafted from each day’s homework.

This course requires active interaction and participation. At the end of the week, each student will have a unique business plan crafted from each day’s homework.

Sessions include hands-on activities. Students should bring a laptop computer with a word-processing and a spreadsheet program installed. Nightly homework assignments will include income and expense accounts, creating a weekly calendar, marketing and promotion, and business plans.

This course has the following required textbook: 

Mills, Elizabeth Shown, editor. Professional Genealogy: Preparation, Practice & Standards. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 2018.

To see daily plans, go here.

Learn Advanced Genealogical Methods with Paul K. Graham, AG, CG, CGL

Students in Advanced Genealogical Methods will learn how to assemble and use evidence to rediscover ancestral origins, identities, and relationships that have been forgotten over the passage of time. 

The course will address advanced use of evidence derived from a variety of genealogical sources and will explore research techniques for populations for which the usual records are in short supply. Students will also learn how to document their research and develop written proof summaries to reach accurate conclusions and create a credible record of their findings for present and future generations of family historians.

Paul K. Graham, AG, CG, CGL will be assisted by his instructor team including:

• Thomas W. Jones, PhD, CG, CGL, FASG, FUGA, FNGS
• Judy G. Russell, JD, CG, CGL
• Pamela Boyer Sayre, CG, FUGA
• Richard G. Sayre, CG, CGL, FUGA
• Paul Woodbury, MEd

This intense course is targeted to high intermediate genealogists who have completed an intermediate level methodology course or who have equivalent experiences. Their research has led them to encounter relationships that cannot be documented only with direct evidence. They have taken at least one DNA test.

Students are encouraged to obtain and read Mastering Genealogical Proof prior to the start of the course. [Jones, Thomas W., Mastering Genealogical Proof (Arlington: National Genealogical Society, 2013), 26–27.]

Students will need access to a computer with Internet access to participate fully in the course.

Registration for SLIG 2020 opens July 13, 2019 at 9:00 am MDT. For more information, go here.

DNA and the 21st Century Professional

DNA testing has grown in popularity to the point that the public and many amateur genealogists equate DNA testing to genealogy. As professional genealogists in the 21st century, it is imperative that we be as familiar and comfortable with using DNA test results as we are with using census and vital records. 

The purpose of this course is to:

• Familiarize professionals with educational resources; 
• Provide tools and methodologies to streamline the integration of documents and DNA; 
• Apply DNA tests results to genealogical research questions; 
• How to present that information to clients in an understandable format; and 
• The ethical issues surrounding DNA testing.

Students should have an excellent working knowledge of the Genealogical Proof Standard and have test results with AncestryDNA and MyHeritage (may be uploaded). Students should also feel comfortable using research logs or journals and preparing written reports. 

This course will require familiarity of DNA testing types, and the five major vendors that offer genetic ancestry testing.

Angie Bush, MS will be joined by:

• Blaine Bettinger, PhD, JD
• Paul K. Graham, AG, CG, CGL

to provide a wonderful institute experience to the students.

For more information, go here.

The Fundamentals of Forensic Genealogy

Come explore your potential role in the fast-growing field of forensic genealogy with Catherine B. W. Desmarais, CG and her instructor team, including:

• Angie Bush, MS
• Kelvin L. Meyers
• Michael S. Ramage, JD, CG

The instructors—all who are all experienced, practicing forensic genealogists—will introduce students to a broad spectrum of topics. Mornings will be spent exploring business practices, work products and skill development, while afternoons will delve into the types of work in which forensic genealogists engage. Students will learn the fundamental skills needed to establish or strengthen their own forensic genealogy practice.

This course is intended for those with advanced genealogy research skills who are interested in learning more about the field of forensic genealogy as a career. You will find it helpful to be familiar with Genealogy Standards (Washington, DC: Board for Certification of Genealogists, 2014) and Elizabeth Shown Mills, Professional Genealogy: Preparation, Practice & Standards (Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing Co., 2018).

For more information, go here.

Writing and Documenting for Peer Review

Peer review is an essential element of every academic pursuit, including genealogy. The vetting of articles and other work products ensures that the author or applicant is conforming to standards dictated by that discipline. Within the field of genealogy, our scholarly journals present peer-reviewed written work adhering to best practices and genealogy standards. 

Peer reviewers/judges for our credentialing bodies—the Board for Certification of Genealogists (BCG) and the International Commission for the Accreditation of Genealogists (ICAPGen)—determine whether our knowledge, our analysis, and final products demonstrate consistent high-quality work. 

Study groups and writing groups present us with opportunities to act as peer reviewers ourselves. This course will examine the peer-review system from several angles, arming students with the tools and knowledge they need to achieve success.

Karen Mauer Jones, CG, FGBS, FUGA along with her instructor team, including:

• Jill N. Crandell, MA, AG
• Catherine B. W. Desmarais, CG
• Paul K. Graham, AG, CG, CGL
• Thomas W. Jones, PhD, CG, CGL, FASG, FNGS, FUGA
• Angela Packer McGhie, CG
• Karen Stanbary, MA, LCSW, CG

will provide expert guidance. Students should be familiar with the standards outlined in Genealogy Standards, 2nd edition, especially those pertaining to writing and documentation, and should also be familiar with the following concepts: indirect and direct evidence; original and derivative records; and authored narratives.

Students at this level should be familiar with and have the listed books. There are no required textbooks for this course, but students may find it useful to have numbers 1, 2, and 3 on hand during the week.

Students should bring a laptop or tablet with them or be prepared to use the Family History Library computers for the first and second homework assignments.

Each student should bring a writing sample to be used in the self-editing homework and the live-editing exercise.

Students will receive a PDF of an NGSQ article in the month before the course. Read the article three times, analyzing and taking notes regarding the evidence, the logic, the organization, and the writing.

For more information, go here.

You Are Invited ... to Speak Publicly!

The ability to transform an initial concept to a full-fledged presentation delivered in front of an audience might seem like a daunting adventure for many professionals. This interactive course is ideal for existing speakers seeking to brush up on their skills and expand their portfolios and anyone seeking to explore how public speaking might align with their aspirations.

D. Joshua Taylor, MA, MLS and his team of instructors, including:

• Angie Bush, MS
• Angela Packer McGhie, CG
• Judy G. Russell, JD, CG, CGL

will provide an intensive week explores key components of public speaking for genealogists:

• Business of speaking,
• Marketing techniques,
• Development, and
• Delivery

Students will also have the opportunity to present two “mini-sessions” to solicit feedback and advice from fellow students and course instructors.

A variety of speaking opportunities will be discussed, including traditional one-hour sessions, seminars, workshops, webinars, institute courses, public programming, continued education courses, and national and regional conferences.

This course requires active interaction and participation. Students registering for the course will be asked to prepare two 10-15-minute presentations for interactive sessions during the course. Presentations will relate to topics agreed upon in advance between the student and the course coordinator.

Sessions include hands-on activities, students should bring a laptop computer with Word, PowerPoint and/or Keynote installed. Optional homework assignments will include work on developing lecture ideas and general presentation preparations.

For more information, go here.

Master the Skill of Writing Effective Research Reports

Writing effective research reports can be a difficult skill to master. This course will provide instruction and hands-on experience creating each section of a report.

A team of professional genealogists including:

• Angela Packer McGhie, CG
• Apryl Cox, AG
• Catherine B. W. Desmarais, CG
• Thomas W. Jones, PhD, CG, CGL, FAGS, FUGA, FNGS
• Karen Matheson, AG
• Nancy A. Peters, CG, CGL
• Karen Stanbary, MA, LCSW, CG

will share their expertise in technical writing, evidence analysis, incorporating visual elements, organizing material, time-saving strategies, and documentation. They will share examples of a variety of reporting formats covering simple to complex research problems from a variety of professional perspectives. Participants will learn both by evaluating provided reports and writing a research report during the week. Students should bring a laptop to work on practice exercises in class and complete writing assignments.

In order to get the most out of the course and the professional editing benefit, students registering for the course are asked to submit a research report they have written by January 1, 2019. The class sessions will include hands-on activities, so students should bring a laptop computer or tablet with Word or another word processing program. There will be homework assignments to practice writing various sections of a research report.

Registration for SLIG Academy 2020 opens July 13, 2019 at 2:00 pm MDT. For more information, go here.

Learn How to Present Genealogical Evidence in Writing

Many skilled genealogists with excellent analysis and correlation skills have trouble communicating their thought processes and presenting evidence in writing. Students in this course will overcome these roadblocks and gain essential skills needed to convey complex concepts in genealogical work products, including proof arguments, affidavits, and research reports. 

The course will cover important issues including:

• Documentation
• Establishing proof, 
• Use of citations, 
• DNA evidence, and 
• Legal and copyright issues

Melissa Johnson, CG and her experienced team of instructors, including:

• Rick Fogarty
• Judy G. Russell, JD, CG, CGL
• Karen Stanbary, MA, LCSW, CG

will instruct students on how to become more comfortable with important skills such as analyzing, organizing, and presenting complex evidence; resolving conflicts; reporting a variety of meaningful and negative findings; using DNA evidence in writing; and qualifying information, theories, and proof. The course will focus on meeting the Genealogical Proof Standard, and writing in a professional, clear and concise manner for a variety of audiences.

Students will be asked to bring a research report and/or proof discussion of no more than four pages. The report/proof discussion can be related to the student’s own family or another family they have researched. This writing sample will be used for in-class activities; students are reminded not to use a sample intended to be used for BCG certification, and not to use a sample that they do not have permission to use or that violates the privacy of living individuals.

Registration for SLIG 2020 opens July 13, 2019 at 9:00 am MDT. For more information, go here.

Learn How to Conduct Reliable Genealogical Research

Successful professional genealogists base their success in the research techniques that they use.

This course is framed on the Genealogical Proof Standard, focusing on processes used by successful professional genealogists. The course will teach means of efficient project management to achieve reliable results.

The following is required reading for the course:

• Board for Certification of Genealogists, Genealogy Standards, 2nd edition

A multi-part assignment will allow students to apply what they have learned to a problem of their own. Skills tested will include analyzing a research problem and past research, creating a research plan, identifying and obtaining records, and analyzing records for evidentiary value.

Michael Hait, CG, CGL will be assisted by his instructor team, consisting of:

• Catherine B. W. Desmarais, CG
• Paul K. Graham, AG, CG, CGL
• Melanie D. Holtz, CG
• Nicole Gilkison LaRue, CG

Registration for SLIG 2020 opens July 13, 2019 at 9:00 am MDT. For more information, go here.

Applying Standards with Jeanne Larzalere Bloom, CG

This is a unique course for advance practitioners. Most courses and lectures approach genealogy standards from the perspective of how to meet standards and how to produce work that meets standards.

During this course—a supervised practical application of Genealogy Standards—the students will be the judges. This is a forum for discussions of each standard and for substantive genealogy questions. Each day the students will evaluate genealogical work samples of unknown quality to determine whether the samples meet, partially meet, or do not meet standards. From these exercises we hope that the students will gain insight into the mindset and the habits involved in consistently producing work that meets standards. We hope that the students will develop evaluation strategies to identify weaknesses in their writing and in the writing of others. This is a forum for discussions of each standard and for substantive genealogy questions.

The class will move quickly and assume that attendees are familiar with Genealogy Standards, 2nd edition(2019), with Evidence Explained, and with Numbering Your Genealogy.

Jeanne will be assisted by:

• Jill N. Crandell, AG
• Stefani Evans, CG
• LaBrenda Garrett-Nelson, JD, LLM, CG, CGL
• Debra S. Mieszala, CG
• Karen Stanbary, MA, LCSW, CG

Registration for SLIG 2020 opens July 13, 2019 at 9:00 am MDT. For more information, go here.

Learn How to Meet Standards Using DNA Evidence with Karen Stanbary, MA, LCSW, CG

This all-new course is designed to deconstruct, and study researcher decisions, strategies, and methodologies employed in the correlation of documentary and genetic evidence to establish proven genealogical conclusions. Examples include case studies suitable for publication, research reports, and proof summaries/arguments useful in a Kinship Determination Project (KDP). The research problems are all long-standing genealogical brick walls that could not be solved without the skillful use of DNA and documentary sources. We will focus on a variety of strategies to meet the newly minted DNA-Related standards and the Genealogical Proof Standard.

Students will dissect familiar skills, with a DNA twist:

• Crafting a meaningful research question
• Developing and refining research plans
• Mining for evidence
• Correlating evidence
• Sorting and grouping evidence
• Analyzing with logic and inference
• Testing hypotheses
• Resolving conflicts
• Reporting of findings
• Writing clear proof arguments detailing evidence and reasoning to support the conclusion

There is a strong instructor team joining Karen Stanbary, MA, LCSW, CG, and includes:

• Catherine B. W. Desmarais, CG
• LaBrenda Garrett-Nelson, JD, LLM, CG, CGL
• Melissa A. Johnson, CG
• Thomas W. Jones, PhD, CG, CGL, FASG, FNGS, FUGA
• Angela Packer McGhie, CG
• David Ouimette, CG, CGL
• David Rencher, CG, AG, FIGRS, FUGA
• Richard G. Sayre, CG, CGL, FUGA

This course has the following prerequisites:

• Requires previous completion of the following full-week institute courses at any genealogical institute in three categories:
• Advanced Methodology, Advanced Genealogical Methods, Mastering Genealogical Proof;
• Beginning DNA, Introduction to Genetic Genealogy, Practical Genetic Genealogy;
• Establishing Genealogical Proof with DNA, Intermediate DNA, Chromosome Mapping, Advanced DNA (offered Summer 2019), or SLIG Virtual DNA Practicum (offered Fall 2019)

If a registrant does not meet the prerequisites, a work sample may be submitted for consideration that correlates genetic and documentary sources to establish a conclusion meeting the Genealogical Proof Standard.

There are also pre-reading requirements:

• Board for Certification of Genealogists, Genealogy Standards, 2nd edition
• Thomas W. Jones, Mastering Genealogical Proof
• Debbie Parker Wayne and Blaine T. Bettinger, Genetic Genealogy in Practice
• Thomas W. Jones, Mastering Genealogical Documentation
• Elizabeth Shown Mills, Evidence Explained (the first two chapters)
• Debbie Parker Wayne, ed. Advanced Genetic Genealogy: Techniques and Case Studies
• Board for Certification of Genealogists, Rubrics for Evaluating New Applications for BCG Certification, 2019 edition; PDF, Board for Certification of Genealogists

Registration for SLIG 2020 opens July 13, 2019 at 9:00 am MDT. For more information, go here.

Maryland: America in Microcosm

Located in the Mid-Atlantic, Maryland is a small state with great diversity. It has been said that it represents America in microcosm. From Western Maryland, which was Maryland’s last frontier, to the Eastern Shore, which is part of the Delmarva Peninsula and consists mostly of flat farmland, to the City of Baltimore, Maryland provides researchers with a wide array of resources to explore.

This course is designed to provide in-depth coverage of Maryland record groups, repositories, as well as social, economic, and historical context for researchers discovering their Maryland ancestors, from the founding as a proprietary colony to the present.

The course will cover the Maryland State Archives as well as the collections of other libraries, repositories, and archives available for genealogical research in Maryland. Also covered will be vital records, land records, court records, tax lists, probate records, military records, church records, and online databases.

The instructor team includes:

• Debra A. Hoffman
• Rebecca Whitman Koford, CG, CGL
• Angela Packer McGhie, CG
• Malissa Ruffner, JD, CG
• Judy G. Russell, JD, CG, CGL

Additionally, there will be hands-on exercises offered to students to provide reinforcement of the material covered as well as the opportunity to apply what was learned during the course.

Registration for SLIG 2020 opens July 13, 2019 at 9:00 am MDT. For more information, go here.

Virginia: Her Records, Her People, Her Laws

Barbara Vines Little, CG, FVGS, FNGS, FUGA and Victor S. Dunn, CG will acquaint students on Virginia resources and the background information (law, social customs, geography, etc.) needed to properly interpret them. Substitutes for missing records, Virginia records in out-of-state repositories, and unique manuscript records in small, local repositories will be addressed. Emphasis will be placed on records available either online or through microfilm loan programs; however, researchers will also be introduced to records available only in manuscript form at either the local level or in larger research repositories.

Prior Virginia research experience is not needed, but attendees with at least intermediate general research experience will gain the most from the presentations.

Registration for SLIG 2020 opens July 13, 2019 at 9:00 am MDT. For more information, go here.

Learn and Understand the Rich Research Resources of the Law with the Legal Genealogist!

This course offers students an opportunity for a deeper understanding of the rich research resources of the law, including those generally available only at law libraries. Students will work with legal records and sources, gaining a better grasp of legal history and its implications for research as well as the skills to find and apply the law to solve genealogical problems. Individual sessions will focus on specific legal disciplines (criminal, civil, probate and the like) and students will have the opportunity to visit and use the resources of a major university law library.

Judy is assisted by the following instructors:

• LaBrenda Garrett-Nelson, JD, LLM, CG, CGL
• Thomas W. Jones, CG, CGL, FASG, FUGA, FNGS
• Rev. David McDonald, DMin, CG
• George R. Ryskamp, JD, AG
• Richard G. Sayre, CG, CGL, FUGA

This is an advanced course with the following prerequisite:

• Completion of a basic course in genealogy and law—Family History Law Library (SLIG) or Law School for Genealogists (GRIP)—is recommended.

Registration for SLIG 2020 opens July 13, 2019 at 9:00 am MDT. For more information, go here.

Land Genealogy is as Important as People Genealogy!

Land genealogy is as important as people genealogy for overcoming family history research barriers. 

This course explores land distribution in the current United States by colonial powers, private land claims, federal land records at both the National Archives and the General Land Office, and local-level county or town deeds. Students will learn about the Public Land Survey System and the metes and bound system. Course content illustrates the use of land records to prove kinship. Use of software and Internet resources for finding land records, mapping, and deed platting is demonstrated and practiced in hands-on labs or classroom exercises.

Co-coordinators Rick Sayre, CG, CGL, FUGA and Pam Sayre, CG, FUGA are assisted by:

• Rebecca Whitman Koford, CG, CGL
• Angela Packer McGhie, CG
• Judy G. Russell, JD, CG, CGL
• Gerald H. "Jerry" Smith, CG

Attendees are expected to have a basic understanding of land records. Attendance at an intermediate level course such as Researching Like a Professional offered at SLIG or Intermediate Genealogy & Historical Studies offered at IGHR or SLIG Virtual Intermediate Foundations is recommended.

Registration for SLIG 2020 opens July 13, 2019 at 9:00 am MDT. For more information, go here.

Register on Saturday, June 15th for In-Depth Swedish and Finnish Research!

This course will discuss not only the most-frequently used records such as the church and census, but it will also include in-depth instruction into the probate and court, taxation, land and property, military, minorities, and DNA resources. Examples of the use of these records will provide an in-depth knowledge you have never had before!

Additional information will be shared about local organizations, National Archives online catalogs, as well as Scandinavian-American organizations and their record availability.

Learning will be enhanced through weekly homework assignments and private Facebook group discussions. Course instructors include:

• Elaine Hasleton, AG
• Jeff Svare, AG
• Geoffrey Fröberg Morris, AG
• Niclas Persson Tenhuinen of Torsby, Sweden (remote delivery)

This is a course for intermediate students, who should already have a solid understanding of church, tax, and probate records prior to taking this course.

This course will meet online using Zoom Meetings. Sessions will be recorded for personal review and available for up to 30 days following the end of the course. Students are responsible to provide their own equipment and adequate bandwidth to participate actively in the course. Webcams and noise-cancelling headphones are strongly advised. Additional technical information will be sent to registered participants via email.

For more information, go here.

Register on Saturday, June 15th for the All-DNA Advanced Evidence Analysis Practicum!

New in Fall 2019, SLIG will offer the Virtual All-DNA Advanced Evidence Analysis Practicum course! This unique course tests a student's ability to plan, research, analyze, correlate, and solve complex genealogical research problems that use DNA.

This SLIG course challenges students as they work through five complex cases, one each week from October 12th through November 23rd. The five cases for the Virtual All-DNA Practicum will be brand new this year. The case study instructors are: 

• Blaine Bettinger, PhD, JD
• Melissa A. Johnson, CG
• Thomas W. Jones, PhD, CG, CGL, FASG, FUGA, FNGS
• Karen Stanbary, MA, LCSW, CG
• Paul Woodbury, MEd

Virtual Practicum participants have a week to work on the case and then they gather together online on Saturday to discuss the case with fellow classmates and the case study author/instructor. They have a chance to compare strategies, methodologies, difficulties and results before the instructor demonstrates the case solution. This gives participants experience in working on a wide variety of genealogical problems.

The cases that students will work on in this course all require analyzing and correlating a combination of documentary and DNA evidence. Students should have advanced skills researching in all types of genealogical records, and solving tough genealogical problems. 

This course if for advanced students and has prerequisites, so please check the website before registering to make sure you meet them.

This course will meet online using Zoom Meetings. Students are responsible to provide their own equipment and adequate bandwidth to participate actively in the course. Webcams and noise-cancelling headphones are strongly advised. Additional technical information will be sent to registered participants via email.

For more information, go here.

Does your research need substitutes for missing vital records?

If so, this course may provide you with information you need to do that!

Church registers can be a substitute for missing vital records; they can also serve as correlating evidence when working with multiple indirect resources to construct and document a genealogical project.

The course will examine both the theological underpinnings of a number of Christian denominations and their substantial impact in American genealogy. The records created by churches, ministers, and denominations that can affect and impact on the genealogical work will be considered. Denominational “genealogy,” leading lights, naming patterns, cultural and behavioral impacts, in addition to church records as resources will be considered in this week-long learning experience.

With the world’s largest collection of records within walking distance of the course, we will examine the utility of the records available, their use as substitutes for civil registration and vital records, and effective interweaving of the records into written narratives of a family’s record.

This course also examines churches “across the pond” in their European settings, and evaluates influences that helped shape denominational thinking and record-keeping processes.

Rev. David McDonald, DMin, CG along with his instructor team of:

• Lisa Parry Arnold 
• F. Warren Bittner, CG 
• Kelvin L. Meyers 

will consider the theological influences impacting on the particular denominations, along with religious practices and cultural attitudes which may prevail amongst various groups and bodies. Homework that reinforces the material covered will be featured on three evenings.

Registration for SLIG 2020 opens July 13, 2019 at 9:00 am MDT. For more information, go here.

Registration Opens on June 15th for an Incredible 11 Weeks Starting in September!

Starting on September 10th and for 11 incredibly educational weeks, you will enhance your research skills from home around your busy schedule but still receive an in-depth, institute-intense course, and build on your existing knowledge and experience. 

The course will expand your ability to find and analyze intermediate record types such as local and federal land, military, immigration, and naturalization, and find the underlying laws. You will also learn how to conduct research using best practices and following genealogical standards.

Besides Sara Scribner, CG, who is the coordinator for this course, the instructor team that will be assisting her is an incredible list of knowledgeable genealogical experts in the field:

• Angie Bush, MS,
• Rebecca Whitman Koford, CG, CGL
• Angela Packer McGhie, CG
• Nancy A. Peters, CG, CGL
• Kimberly T. Powell
• Judy G. Russell, JD, CG, CGL
• Richard G. Sayre, CG, CGL, FUGA
• Michael L. Strauss, AG
• Cari A. Taplin, CG

Homework will allow you to practice new skills and to work in original records. Understanding will be enhanced by a homework review session in the week that follows, instructor presence in a closed Facebook group the week following their class session, a homework key, and written class homework summary comments.

The course will meet online using Zoom Meetings. Sessions will be recorded for personal review and available for up to 30 days following the end of the course. 

For more information, go here.