Basic Electives

Genealogical research is one income stream you can add to your Personal Historian business whether you conduct the research or your hire a researcher. Family history information enhances a personal history project by providing more in-depth family details. This introduction to genealogy will address how to add this income stream to your business, what to look for when hiring a researcher, and how to do the basic research yourself.

Approximate contact hours to complete this course: 18

FamilySearch is one of the important websites in the field of genealogical research. The FamilySearch, free, website is just one part of a larger network, provide by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. FamilySearch includes over 6.3 billion searchable records and indexes online. FamilySearch provides digital images, education, digitized books, online indexing, a library catalog, and online access to genealogy sources in a variety of forms. The services provided through the FamilySearch organization have proven time and time again to be invaluable to researchers of all experiences and levels of expertise. In this course we will review all aspects of using the FamilySearch website and how to use the website to find, learn, network, and share with other researchers.

Approximate contact hours to complete this course: 24

This is an introductory course to start tracing your family history. To begin your family history, we will start with answering the question “why should I trace my family history?” and then focus on “how do I trace my family history?” We will fill in a Pedigree Chart and Family Group Record to get started. We will then learn how to begin with family history research basics, from asking questions of living family members to finding “home sources” that provide relevant information. This will be followed with a review of the websites most used in family history research and sources that are available to research your family history. The course concludes with a look at next steps to continuing your research including DNA testing and hiring a genealogist.

Approximate contact hours to complete this course: 18

Planning a family reunion is often something you have been thinking or dreaming of for years. But like most projects, at a certain point you must stop dreaming and start doing.

Let's not kid ourselves, planning a family reunion is a big job. It will take lots of hours, and many times you will wonder why you ever dreamed of this.

Yes, you can do this, just don't try to do it by yourself. If you've assembled a good planning team, your family reunion will be a success. This course will give you lots of ideas and suggestions to make the planning of your reunion a little easier.

Genealogy has been known to become a passion or become addictive. Well the enthusiasm in planning a family reunion is infectious, if you have the excitement, you will pass it on.

Approximate contact hours to complete this course: 12

As family historians we all dream of one day walking the land of our ancestors, or going to ‘genealogy-heaven’ in Salt Lake City. Make those dreams come true, with sound practical advice from a ‘pro’. Researching away from home, especially abroad, can be unproductive and disappointing if inadequate preparations are made. The family historian is given practical advice on travel, accommodation, what to take, and what to expect in libraries and archives. They will then be fully prepared to accomplish their objectives.

The second half of the course concentrates on the world’s largest genealogical library, the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. The text will guide you through the planning process, familiarize you with how the Family History Library is organized and gives all the practical tips a ‘first-timer’ needs to get the most from their trip.

One student’s experience:
To hear a student discussion regarding their experience with this course, please click here. (This is a large file and may take a minute or two to download.)

Approximate contact hours to complete this course: 12

[Formerly titled: Protect Your Precious Documents]

You have taken the time to locate and acquire your family’s precious documents, photos, and heirlooms. Now take the time to protect, curate, and share them for future generations to enjoy.

This course discusses how to preserve your family history items to minimize damage. The procedures for encapsulating documents and photographs will be explored, as well as other methods to protect your family heirlooms. You are your family’s archivist, and family history requires you to do more than research, you must also preserve material items of the past. This course will demonstrate the techniques and tools you need to do just that.

Approximate contact hours to complete this course: 18

The only way to truly know another person, can only come from experiencing their complete communication. This includes not only their words but also their facial expressions and their physical gestures.

This course will show you how to accomplish this, so that now, while you still have your special people with you, you can capture their stories, their past memories and their future expectations on video. You will capture the entire person.

The instructor will teach you that by adding photographs, slides, newspapers articles, documents and family mementoes you will create the ultimate family video.

Approximate contact hours to complete this course: 12

Recording interesting family stories is essential if you want future generations to read your family history book. This course will help you write the story of your life or of your ancestors’ lives. Techniques for researching the facts, remembering the events, writing the text, adding visuals with graphics or photographs, and finally reproducing your book will all be discussed.

Approximate contact hours to complete this course: 15