How To Find Your Next Genealogy Education Opportunity

.Many online genealogy education opportunities can be found. Whether short videos or a full online class, everyone can further their genealogy education.

Attending a genealogy conference – big or small- is a great way to further your genealogy education.

But…. not everyone can attend a live event in person. Work, cost, and family obligations can send the genealogy researcher to seek educational opportunities online. These come in all forms – webinars, blog posts, videos, e-courses…..

[Think genealogy in your jammies!]

Find Your Next Genealogy Education Opportunity

Many genealogy educational opportunities can be found. Some are free and some are fee based.

Before you jump into the next course or even spend precious research time watching the latest genealogy video…..

Know What You Want To Know

When you create a research plan for finding your ancestor, the first thing you determine is “What do I want to know?”.

Do the same thing as you look for a genealogy educational opportunity.

Decide what aspect of genealogy you need to learn more about. Keep that information in mind as you start your search.

[**If you are interested in finding a live event, read more here.]

Let’s Get Started!

Note: The lists below are not meant to be comprehensive, but representative of the types of opportunities that can be found.

Genealogy Blogs 

Blog posts are a great way to find genealogy information on a variety of topics. This is exactly how Are You My Cousin? got started!

Some will be focused on a very specific niche such as DNA and genetic genealogy while others are more general in their genealogy focus. Recommendations include:

• Are You My Cousin?  – I’m a bit partial! Get on the email list and don’t miss a thing! [Shameless plug! 😉]
• The FindMyPast Blog – Focuses on Irish and British genealogy, but also includes great information on American records and research strategies. It’s my go-to when I’m learning how to research my UK ancestors.
• FamilySearch Blog – An excellent resource on a variety of genealogy and family history topics.
• GeneaBloggers Tribe – A community of genealogy bloggers! Search their database.
• Legacy Tree Genealogists – Excellent posts by professional genealogists.
• The MyHeritage Blog – An excellent resource for genealogy inspiration and research topics.

Online Genealogy Webinars & Videos

Now there has been an explosion of online webinars and YouTube videos since Covid.I think we all are now quite comfortable with the online format of webinars and presentations. I’ve noticed many genealogy societies have decided to go with the hybrid model. It’s a great way to recruit new members who would not normally be able to attend in person as well as bring in speakers they wouldn’t normally have. 

Make sure to take advantage of the many of these opportunities:

• Live Streams of Sessions From Large Conferences – Many of the larger conferences are broadcasting select sessions live and/or offer them for replay after the event. Rootstech is one such example.
• Legacy Family Tree Webinars – An excellent source of both free webinars and subscription fee based webinar are available on a variety of genealogy topics.
•  State Genealogical Societies – Check you local and state and genealogical societies.  Many offer webinars to their members and general public on a variety of topics related to their area.
• Ancestry Academy – A variety of webinars including specific tutorials on how to make the most of Ancestry.com.
• The FamilySearch Learning Center
• National Genealogical Society – Offers a variety of genealogical educational opportunities.
• Facebook Lives – Be sure and follow your favorite genealogist on Facebook. [Here’s the AYMC link – shameless plug!]. Many are sharing Facebook Lives on various genealogy topics. If you can’t watch a Facebook Live live, they are usually available under the page’s “files” tab for replay.

Genealogy Podcasts

Do you prefer to listen to your genealogy on the go? Podcasts are excellent for that long car ride or run. I listened to the Genealogy Gems podcasts when running my first half marathon!

• Genealogy Guys with Drew Smith and George Morgan
• Extreme Genes – Be sure and listen to Episode 200 – You’ll find me! [Another shameless plug. ]
• Genealogy Gems with Lisa Louise Cooke!

Genealogy on YouTube

This one gets it’s own section! Free videos on a variety of genealogy topics! Use the search bar to find a video on your genealogy topic of interest.

• Are You My Cousin? -Yes, we have our own Youtube channel! Be sure to subcribe.
• Genealogy TV with Connie Knox
• Family History Fanatics  Videos focusing on genealogy, preservation and family history project are added each week. Are You My Cousin? is a contributor.
• Aimee Cross – Genealogy Hints – Aimee shares great genealogy hints and tips!
• Genealogy with Amy Johnson Crow – Amy shares a variety of genealogy tutorials.
• All of the large genealogy databases have their own YouTube channel providing genealogy education.

Even More Opportunities to Sharpen Your Genealogy Skills

There are even more types of genealogy educational opportunities to sharpen you research skills.

• Masterclasses – I teach specialized classes on topics like finding an ancestor’s date of death and even ancestors born out of wedlock.
• Family Tree Plus – Family Tree Plus is the new global online community from Family Tree (UK) for genealogists. Combining online meetings, webinars, and downloadable resources with a searchable library of Family Tree back issues, membership gives you everything you need to take your research further. We’d like to offer Are You My Cousin? followers the chance to try Family Tree Plus for one year for just £50 (c.$60) – that’s a 50% discount, with no commitment to renew. We can’t wait to see you online! – Just visit: https://www.family-tree.co.uk/cousin

• Genealogy Institutes such as SLIG and GRIP are multi-day intensives for genealogy research.
• ProGen Study Groups – Excellent group for those wanting to go professional.

As you can see, a variety of opportunities exist for you to hone and sharpen your research skills. There is literally something for everyone.

Check one out today!

Find More Posts of Interest:

• How To Use WorldCat For Your Genealogy Research
• 15 Places to Find the Genealogy Records You Need
• 5 Resources To Identify Your Ancestor’s Friends
• Want To Take a Peek at My Genealogy Bookshelf?