SLIG 2024 and SLIG Spring Virtual 2024 Registration Begins July 22

SLIG 2024 registration opens July 22, 2023, at 10:00 am MDT.

SLIG Spring Virtual 2024 registration opens July 22, 2023, at 2:00 pm MDT.

Course Information: Still wondering which courses are right for you? Check these courses out!

SLIG 2024: meets online January 22–26, 2024.

• Behind the Scenes at FamilySearch: Technology and Features, coordinated by Lynn Turner, AG
• Immigration from Colonial Times to 1890, coordinated by D. Joshua Taylor, MA, MLS, FUGA
• Exploring Their Life: The Social History of Your Family, coordinated by Gena Philibert-Ortega, MA, MAR
• Advanced Research Tools: Land Records, coordinated by Rebecca Whitman Koford, CG, CGL
• The Family History Law Library, coordinated by Judy G. Russell, JD, CG, CGL, and Richard G. Sayre, CG, CGL, FUGA
• Guide to Treasures Found in Federal Records, coordinated by Michael L. Strauss, AG
• Genealogy Research in France: An Introduction, coordinated by Paul Woodbury, MEd, AG
• Researching Along the Northern Plains, coordinated by Gary Ball-Kilbourne, PhD, CG
• The Fundamentals of Southern U.S. Research and Resources, coordinated by J. Mark Lowe, FUGA
• DNA Dreamers: Integrating DNA Evidence to Resolve Complex Cases, coordinated by Karen Stanbary, MA, LCSW, CG
• Beyond the Brick Wall: Strategies for Pre-1850 U.S. Research, coordinated by Julia A. Anderson, MA, AG; Beth Taylor, CG; Lyn Rasmussen, CG, and Jacqueline Kanyuck, AG
• Advanced Genealogical Methods, coordinated by Paul K. Graham, AG, CG
• Guided Research and Consultation, coordinated by Craig Roberts Scott, MA, CG, FUGA

Click here for SLIG 2024 course details, outlines, schedules, and videos.

SLIG Spring Virtual 2024: meets on various dates.

• Bring 'Em Back to Life: Writing Our Ancestors' Stories, coordinated by Annette Burke Lyttle, MA
• You're Invited: Public Speaking from Concept to Delivery, coordinated by D. Joshua Taylor, MA, MLS, FUGA
• The Art of Writing a Research Report, coordinated by Debra A. Hoffman, PLCGS
• BCG Certification: Understanding and Meeting Standards, coordinated by Angela Packer McGhie, CG, FUGA, and Karen Stanbary, MA, LCSW, CG
• DNA Dreamers in Action: Writing Proof Arguments, coordinated by Karen Stanbary, MA, LCSW, CG
• Editing Genealogical Writing, coordinated by Karen Mauer Jones, CG, FGBS, FUGA
• Gothic Script and Fraktur: Reading Records of Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Poland, and the Czech Republic, plus German-American Church Books and Newspapers, coordinate by F. Warren Bittner

Click here for SLIG Spring Virtual 2024 course details, outlines, schedules, and videos.

Registration Website: The registration webpage is here. Bookmark it now!

Tips for preparing for a smooth registration experience:

• Join UGA (Utah Genealogical Association) or renew your UGA membership at least two days before registration so the system has time to update and correctly apply the UGA discount to your order.
• Create or login to your SLIG registration account--this is different from your UGA account--at least 24 hours before registration. Please confirm that your information is still current (name, address, phone number, email, etc.) and update as necessary.
• Review the SLIG polices to which you much agree when registering:
• Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct
• Registration and Cancellation
• Privacy

Waitlists: If your desired course sells out before you complete you order, you will be automatically waitlisted and sent back to the course selection page where you can choose another course for which to register. After placing an order, you may add yourself to the waitlist for another course in the registration dashboard.

We hope the registration process goes smoothly for you and look forward to supporting your educational goals.

SLIG Spring Virtual 2024: Gothic Script and Fraktur

Just announced! F. Warren Bittner is offering his course on Gothic Script and Fraktur: Reading Records of Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Poland, and the Czech Republic, plus German-American Church Books and Newspapers, during SLIG Spring Virtual 2024!

German handwriting is troublesome with seven forms of the letter s, h's that look like f's, e's that look like n's, p's that look like nothing ever seen before, and r's that are just plain upside down. In this course, you will learn to read Gothic script and Fraktur typeface, having fun in the process. German genealogical vocabulary and Latin terms are included. By the end of this course, you will have the tools to read basic German genealogical records.

Check back on the SLIG Spring Virtual 2024 Courses webpage for updates, including dates and times the course will meet, as well as the course schedule.

SLIG Spring Virtual registration opens Saturday, July 22, at 2:00 MDT.

SLIG Spring Virtual 2024: Editing Genealogical Writing

Editors are not born editors. They become skilled at their craft by editing their own writing. They play with words, massaging their thoughts, turning sentences and paragraphs on end, reducing paragraphs to sentences, ripping out irrelevant thoughts, and experimenting with organization. Editing Genealogical Writing, coordinated by Karen Mauer Jones, CG, FGBS, FUGA, will provide opportunities for you to hone your editorial skills.

Editing Genealogical Writing is a new course and a continuation of the SLIG course on Writing and Documenting for Peer Review, which is a prerequisite. It provides more opportunities for hands-on work and peer-to-peer collaboration, expanding on topics introduced in the Peer Review course.

As pre-course homework, each student is asked to bring to class a proof argument in the formative stage. In other words, most of the research is completed (there will always be more you can do), you're sure you've solved the problem, but you haven't started writing it up or you've just started. You will write the proof argument throughout the class, then do peer-to-peer editing at the end.

Other instructors:

• Paul K. Graham, AG, CG, CGL
• Thomas W. Jones, PhD, CG, FASG, FUGA, FNGS
• Angela Packer McGhie, CG, FUGA

Editing Genealogical Writing will meet online on Tuesdays, 11:00 am to 3:30 pm MT, March 5, through May 7, 2024.

See the SLIG Spring Virtual 2024 Courses webpage for more information, including updates.

SLIG Spring Virtual registration opens Saturday, July 22, at 2:00 MDT.

SLIG Spring Virtual 2024: DNA Dreamers in Action: Writing Proof Arguments

After receiving excellent reviews, DNA Dreamers in Action: Writing Proof Arguments is back again, offered in a virtual, multi-week format. Are you ready to work on or polish that case study that incorporates DNA evidence?

DNA Dreamers in Action: Writing Proof Arguments, coordinated by Karen Stanbary, MA, LCSW, CG, will help you learn how to craft a genealogical proof argument demonstrating that a conclusion about a genetic relationship meets the Genealogical Proof Standard. This hands-on course is designed for students who have completed research about a biological relationship and now wish to write it up into a polished complex proof argument. You will have the opportunity to incorporate each session's learnings into their own proof argument. You will also benefit from private consultations with faculty and from paired peer review experiences.

Other Instructors:

• Thomas W. Jones, PhD, CG, FASG, FNGS, FUGA
• Scott Wilds, CG

This is an advanced course and assumes the student is well-versed in beginning and intermediate DNA topics including inheritance paths, interpretation of markers and mutations, genetic relationship predictions, endogamy, pedigree collapse, clustering, chromosome mapping, targeted testing plans, and DNA-related Genealogy Standard.

DNA Dreamers in Action: Writing Proof Arguments will meet online on Fridays, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm MT, March 1–29, 2024.

See the SLIG Spring Virtual 2024 Courses webpage for more information, including required reading and updates.

SLIG Spring Virtual registration opens Saturday, July 22, at 2:00 pm MDT.

SLIG Spring Virtual 2024: BCG Certification: Understanding and Meeting Standards

Whether you are only pondering whether seeking certification by the Board for Certification of Genealogists (BCG) is for you, or whether you are actively making preparations to work on your certification portfolio, or whether you are already "on the clock," then you will want to take BCG Certification: Understanding and Meeting Standards.

BCG Certification: Understanding and Meeting Standards, coordinated by Angela Packer McGhie, CG, FUGA, and Karen Stanbary, MA, LCSW, CG, centers around BCG's requirements for credentialing, the Genealogical Proof Standard, Genealogy Standards, and Rubrics for Evaluating New Applications for BCG Certification. The course will use class discussions, hands-on activities, and at-home practice to help you build foundational skills in transcribing records, planning efficient research, analyzing records, correlating information, reporting on research results, and writing about evidence.

Note: 

• This is an advanced methodology course targeted to individuals preparing for BCG certification, although genealogists seeking to improve advanced skills will also benefit from this course.
• This course is not sponsored by the Board for Certification of Genealogists. The opinions expressed by the faculty are entirely their own.
• The BCG Application Guide and Genealogy Standards represent the authority in all matters related to certification. Please refer to the Board for Certification of Genealogists website for more information about certification.
• Consistent with BCG Application Guide instructions, any projects submitted by new applicants to BCG must be their own work. While this course emphasizes the skills tested by BCG, students will not work on their own portfolio projects in class.

BCG Certification: Understanding and Meeting Standards will meet online on Thursdays, 8:00 am to 3:30 pm MT, February 15 through March 28, 2024.

See the SLIG Spring Virtual 2024 Courses webpage for more information, including the reading list for this course and any updates.

SLIG Spring Virtual registration opens Saturday, July 22, at 2:00 pm MDT.

SLIG Spring Virtual 2024: The Art of Writing a Research Report

Want to effectively capture your research whether writing for yourself or a client? Do you find writing effective research reports to be a challenge? Here's a course that will provide instruction and hands-on experience in creating an efficient and effective report.

In The Art of Writing a Research Report, coordinated by Debra A. Hoffman, PLCGS, a team of professional genealogists will share their expertise in technical writing, evidence analysis, incorporating visual elements, organizing materials, time-saving strategies, and documentation. You will receive a variety of reporting formats covering simple to complex research problems from an array of professional perspectives. You will learn both by evaluating provided reports and writing a research report during the course.

Other Instructors:

• Catherine B. W. Desmarais, CG
• Diana Elder, AG
• Thomas W. Jones, PhD, CG, FASG, FNGS, FUGA
• Karen Matheson, AG
• Angela Packer McGhie, CG, FUGA
• Nancy A. Peters, CG, CGL
• Karen Stanbary, MA, LCSW, CG
• Paul Woodbury, MEd, AG

Watch this interview with course coordinator Debra A. Hoffman as she talks about The Art of Writing Research Reports.

The Art of Writing a Research Report will meet online on Wednesday, 8:30 am to 4:00 pm MT, February 28 through March 27, 2024.

See the SLIG Spring Virtual 2024 Courses webpage for more information, including updates.

SLIG Spring Virtual 2024: You’re Invited: Public Speaking from Concept to Delivery

Are you ready to become a genealogical speaker? Maybe try your hand (your voice?) at presenting a case study at a genealogy conference? Or may teach a webinar? Or offer a live workshop? This course will help you begin as a genealogical speaker. And if you have already started speaking and presenting, this course will assist you in honing your speaking skills.

You’re Invited: Public Speaking from Concept to Delivery, coordinated by D. Joshua Taylor, MA, MLS, FUGA, will help you transform an initial concept into a full-fledged presentation delivered in front of an audience. It is also ideal for existing speakers seeking to brush up on their skills and expand their portfolios. All can explore how public speaking might align with their aspirations.

This is an intensive, interactive course that explores many key components of public speaking for genealogists within the general framework of understanding the business of speaking, knowing your audience, developing your presentation, and delivering your presentation.

Other instructors:

• Annette Burke Lyttle, MA
• Angela Packer McGhie, CG, FUGA
• Judy G. Russell, JD, CG, CGL

You’re Invited: Public Speaking from Concept to Delivery will meet online on Thursdays, 10:00 am to 2:00 pm MT, February 15 through April 25, 2024.

See the SLIG Spring Virtual 2024 Courses webpage for more information, including updates.

SLIG Spring Virtual 2024: Bring ‘Em Back to Life: Writing Our Ancestors’ Stories

How are you going to tell the stories of your ancestors? This course can teach you how!

Bring ‘Em Back to Life: Writing Our Ancestors’ Stories, coordinated by Annette Burke Lyttle, MA, will help researchers understand how to tell the stories of their ancestors, avoid pitfalls, and gain the skills and techniques that will give them confidence as writers. Don't just be a guardian of your family's history; be a teller of those family stories. At the end of this course, you will have a completed writing project and a plan for how best to share it.

Other instructors:

• Lisa Alzo, MFA
• Jenifer Kahn Bakkala
• Gena Philibert-Ortega, MA, MAR
• Kimberly T. Powell
• Judy G. Russell, JD, CG, CGL

Watch this interview with coordinator Annette Burke Lyttle as she talks about the course:

Bring ‘Em Back to Life: Writing Our Ancestors’ Stories will meet online on Wednesdays, 10:00 am to 2:00 pm MT, February 14 through April 18, 2024.

See the SLIG Spring Virtual 2024 Courses webpage for more information, including updates.

SLIG Spring Virtual 2024 registration opens Saturday, July 22, at 2:00 pm MDT.