Courses

New Course: Italian Civil Registration Records Part 2

Researching your Italian roots? Check out our newest course: Italian: Civil Registration Records-Part 2. This course follows Italian: Civil Registration Records – Part 1. Civil registration is one of the largest and most important record sets in Italian genealogical research. It is certainly the most accessible, due to the efforts of FamilySearch (and now the main Italian archive) to microfilm and digitize these records. However, civil registration is more than just birth, death, and marriage records. In this course, we will delve into some of the more unusual civil records. We’ll not only learn what they are but also how to use these records. These records can be used to “flesh out” the history of your ancestors, providing unique details that may help you understand the ancestors in their social and political context. We’ll also delve more deeply into the Italian resources available through FamilySearch, Ancestry.com, and Portale Antenati, the Italian government’s website. Collections available at Italian Archivi di Stato will be explored. Students will learn what types of documents these archives contain and how best to access them. Written by Melanie Holtz, CG, Italian: Civil Registration Records-Part 2 will help you find and document your Italian ancestors. To learn more about this course see our website.

Getting Started with US Probate Records

By Shannon Combs-Bennett, Student I collect dead people. I know, I know, that sounds all sorts of weird, but as genealogists we spend a lot of time with those who have passed. We collect their statistics, their stories and well, really we collect their lives. One of the records that is on the list of must-have’s for genealogists are probate records. Unfortunately, not everyone left a will or a record at their time of death. This can be horribly frustrating for us as researchers when we are trying to connect one generation to another. When we do find that amazing record, that lists ALL of the children, we rejoice in the only way we know how. By doing more research. My luck with probate records is few and far between. Of the ones I have found they either are so ambiguous it leaves you wondering if this was the right family or so detailed it makes me scream and shout. Sometimes it makes you wish there was a set way to do things, or consistent laws in place on what is required! I am looking forward to taking the US: Probate Records course. Perhaps I will find new places to research or fill in some gaps in my knowledge so I will be better at finding these elusive records.  I particularly want to learn where and how to search for records that were recorded before death certificates became the norm. My only roadblock will be that not everyone had a will, but I will hold out hope that my family loved to leave these types of records. So here I go. Stay tuned to learn about what I find out!

What’s New? Update to Analysis and Skills Mentoring 2

Analysis and Skills Mentoring – Part 2 has been updated and is better than ever. Part of the Analysis and Skills Mentoring Program, Analysis & Skills Mentoring -Part 2 is a continuation of the teaching, testing and consulting found in Part 1. What’s new? The addition of Mastering Genealogical Proof, by Thomas W. Jones as required reading as well as other assignment additions. The Analysis and Skills Mentoring Program has been designed to promote the quality of the work that every family historian and genealogist should strive to achieve. The course’s assignments are  reviewed by an instructor. Feedback is provided during two individual consultation appointments. Discussing the completed assignments and receiving advice regarding the appropriateness and quality of  assignment answers is an integral part of this practical program. To learn more about this course, please see our website.

What’s New? Skill-Building: Breaking Down Brick Walls

The National Institute is proud to announce our newest course, Skill-Building: Breaking Down Brick Walls. Brick walls are a reality in genealogy research, but fortunately there is hope. In this course, we  look at a variety of strategies you can implement to help turn your research roadblocks into breakthroughs. We begin with a quick refresher of some key research concepts to help focus your research and prepare you for success. Next, we walk through some simple steps to get you prepared for the journey. Finally, we investigate four different approaches you can use to do some brick wall busting. By the end of this course, you should have some new ideas for researching brick walls and the inspiration to forge ahead. Written by genealogist Julie Cahill Tarr, this 8 week course will teach you the methodology you need to solve your toughest research problems. A comprehensive course full of practical examples, Julie says, “I wanted to give students a variety of ideas to help them reframe their research and forge ahead on those difficult ‘brick wall’ ancestors. Instead of telling students about the various techniques, I show them ways to actually implement these strategies and give real-life research examples for further illustration. My hope is that students will walk away from this course with new ideas they can try immediately, and with a renewed sense of hope.” Because this course was created for the professional or the serious minded researcher, it is advised that you complete the Analysis and Skills Mentoring Program-Part 1 course or have a working knowledge of the topics taught in that course prior to registering for this one. The Skill-Building: Breaking Down Brick Walls course is available  starting in October.  To learn more about this course, please see our website.

My Favorite Course: Research: American World War II Ancestors

It’s difficult for me to choose just one course as my favorite. I have a unique position among those who will write about their favorite courses on this blog. I was a student of The National Institute for Genealogical Studies before I started my work here. Currently, I read through the courses as they are turned in by the instructors. This allows me to see the latest courses and resources before they are added to the website. Because I am so familiar with the 200+ courses The National Institute offers, how can I choose just one? So I decided to write this post about a course that students may not be as familiar with. Research: American World War II Ancestors- Part 1 and Part 2. These courses, authored by World War II researcher and author  Jennifer Holik, provide students with a look at all facets of researching World War II and its effect on Americans, on the battlefield and the home front. The description for these two courses are: There are many records that were created during World War I that are similar in World War II. Learn what led to the start of World War II, how the U.S. became involved and the military records available. They did not all burn in the 1973 fire! This course will move from military records for the Navy, Coast Guard and Marines to civilian jobs including the USO, Merchant Marines and others. You will learn how to research the service of your military ancestors through numerous sources In Research: American World War II Ancestors-Part 2 we begin with records from the Army, Army Air Corps, Marines and National Guard and explore military and other records that can assist you in conducting World War II era research. We explore life on the home front and the role of women in World War II including their service in the military. A case study gives ideas for piecing the life of you World War II soldier’s story together. Do you have ancestors and family living in the United States of America during the World War II years? Then you owe it to yourself to learn more about their lives. Check out Research: American World War II Ancestors- Part 1 and Part 2 today.