Spotlight on Intermediate Course | Genealogical Research Institute …
“What should I take at GRIP?” is a question we frequently hear. Having an education plan helps to know where you are on the educational continuum line when you evaluate how much you know and what your goals are. Spending time on the things you know and love is fun but reaching beyond the “comfort zone” for the next level is what you need to grow as a genealogist.[1]
To help you evaluate which GRIP course is appropriate according to your level and interest, a series of posts will put a spotlight on each of them. First up is Paula Stuart-Warren’s Intermediate Genealogy: Tools for Digging Deeper. The best complement I heard about the course last year was that someone wanted to take it again in order to work with the knowledge she gained and then come back and pick up more.
The Intermediate Level Course at GRIP 2013
by Paula Stuart-Warren, CG
July will be here soon. Think about a beautiful college campus surrounded by trees and flowers. You will be on the campus of LaRoche College in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania surrounded by one more thing: other eager family historians. This is my special invitation to attend the course “Intermediate Genealogy: Tools for Digging Deeper.”
Have you reached the stage where you are beyond the basics of researching your family history? Do you need more leads to solve some research brick walls and learn to analzye your information and the records with a more critical eye? Genealogists who want to expand their knowledge of genealogical records, repositories, and methodology love this course. It helps if you have done onsite research at one or more of these places: courthouse, state archive, historical society, genealogy library, Family History Library or FamilySearch Center. During the week there will be a hands-on project, small group discussions, and full class interaction as we develop research plans, delve into the records, and learn what may get those gaps in the family history solved.
This course focuses on mid-19th through 21st century U.S. records. Later this spring, course students will be able to send me a research issue along with a listing of the U.S. places where their ancestors resided. The course includes some “homework” that is optional but strongly suggested. An extensive syllabus including online resources is provided. You will find it helpful to bring along a netbook, laptop computer, or iPad for taking notes and for the week’s projects.
If you didn’t attend last year, you will be amazed at how close the classroom, cafeteria, and dorms are to each other. This adds to the special feeling of camaraderie during the week.
I invite you to join me and the other two instructors for this course, Josh Taylor and Debbie Mieszala, for a week of enlightenment, friendship, and some fun, too. Check out the course listing here.
[1] For more information about continuing education plans see the free video lecture in the FamilySearch.org “Learn” center, “Choosing the Best Continuing Education Opportunities” by Elissa Scalise Powell, CG, CGL. An update of this lecture will be presented as a workshop at the APG Professional Management Conference on March 20, 2013 in Salt Lake City, Utah.
