GenClass.com: Many instructors join NIGS

When a door closes, a window opens, goes the old proverb. This aptly demonstrates recent developments at GenClass.com.

As a GenClass co-founder, I had wanted to explain what happened to the education site, but my good friend Thomas MacEntee beat me to it at his blog Destination: Austin Family.

Thomas reported on the heads-up post by GenClass instructor Michael Hait, the African-American Genealogy Examiner.

An announcement is also at the GenClass website.

The good news is that many GenClass instructors will continue to provide these practical, economical, short-term classes with the National Institute for Genealogical Studies.

The stand-alone courses are not part of the NIGS certification program (see below for more information).

Micha Reisel will teach Jewish Genealogy Internet class, while I will offer Jewish Genealogy Basic. We developed these classes prior to joining MyFamily (way back when), where we taught them for several years, continuing to update and offer them through GenClass for an additional few years.

According to NIGS managing director Louise St. Denis, “Adding the classes offered by instructors at GenClass will be a terrific addition to our course offering. The instructors offer valuable information for proper strategic research plans. We look forward to working with the GenClass team to continue offering this type of valuable education.”

When MyFamily cancelled its education classes – which had been called “the best-kept secret in the genealogy world” – Micha and I co-founded GenClass.com with our talented colleagues, so that we might continue to provide these classes in diverse areas of genealogical research.

Everyone at GenClass thanks the students who have taken our courses and who have followed us on Twitter and Facebook. It’s been a pleasure to meet so many enthusiastic fellow family historians and we’ve enjoyed sharing our knowledge.

Under the NIGS format, weekly lessons will be provided as modules on the NIGS platform. In addition to email support, a weekly chat will use Microsoft LiveMeeting, which allows multimedia in addition to voice and video. Thus, it will be possible to demonstrate PowerPoints, webpages and even a blackboard – termed a whiteboard in contemporary terms!

Can’t make a scheduled chat? Don’t worry, each will be recorded and archived on the class website.

The NIGS celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2009, and is affiliated with the University of Toronto’s St. Michael’s College. It offers a Certificate in Genealogical Studies. In addition to many Records courses (American, Canadian, English, German, Irish and Scottish), students may also obtain certificates in General Methodology and Librarianship.

For more information, click to view NIGS.

GenClass: Family history contest, October

GenClass.com – which provides genealogy education online – has announced its new “Celebrate Your Family History Contest,” in conjunction with National Family History Month in October.

The winner will receive a free course of his or her choice – check out the course offerings at GenClass.

Here are the details:

Tell GenClass – in 1,200 words or less – all about the most creative way you’ve honored your ancestors and what inspired you to do so. It could be in a book, a quilt, music, artwork or other form.

Word text only please (no images should be attached, although links to images within the text are accepted). Type or paste the text into the body of an e-mail message with the subject line: GenClass Celebrate Family History Contest. Send it to lisa.genclass@gmail.com.

The deadline for submissions is Monday, October 5 (midnight Eastern Standard Time).

One winner will be randomly drawn from all submissions received by the deadline, and the winning entry will be published in a future issue of the GenClass newsletter.

Have you honored your ancestors in a creative way?

If not, now is the time to do it!

Win two free gen classes? Yes, you can!

Win two free genealogy classes by listening to Genealogy Gems’ Lisa Louise Cooke as she interviews Lisa Alzo of GenClass.

GenClass offers practical, information-packed, economical classes for those who want to know more. The topics are diverse, and include two Jewish genealogy classes as well as many other ethnic and general classes.

The core group of Genclass instructors taught online classes with MyFamily.com. When those classes were canceled by the website, Micha Reisel and I gathered many of our colleagues to continue doing what all of us love to do – helping people discover how to research their family’s unique history.

Now for the bargain: One lucky listener is going to win not one but two free classes from GenClass.

How can YOU win?

First you’ll want to listen to the interview to learn about GenClass. Then go to GenClass to see the classes for March and April and see which will help you in your quest.

Then send an email (to Genealogy Gems) with your name, state and email address. Don’t forget to include the topic you’d most like to learn about in 2009 on one of Genealogy Gem’s upcoming podcasts. The deadline is midnight, Sunday, Feb. 21.

One lucky winner will be drawn from all of the email entries, and will receive his or her choice of any two classes. Look for the winner on the Genealogy Gems News Blog and Episode 60 of the Genealogy Gems Podcast.

Re downloading the podcast – I had some false starts until I realized it works better if you have iTunes already installed. Read the FAQs to get detailed information – it’s very easy to follow. Then subscribe to all the Genealogy Gem podcasts – they’ll appear in your Library section.

Click on Podcast 59 to hear about GenClass. Hint: If you’re rushed for time, the first section of the podcast is a collection of good announcements and spotlights, and Alzo’s GenClass section starts at minute 32.

Win two free gen classes? Yes, you can!

Win two free genealogy classes by listening to Genealogy Gems’ Lisa Louise Cooke as she interviews Lisa Alzo of GenClass.

GenClass offers practical, information-packed, economical classes for those who want to know more. The topics are diverse, and include two Jewish genealogy classes as well as many other ethnic and general classes.

The core group of Genclass instructors taught online classes with MyFamily.com. When those classes were canceled by the website, Micha Reisel and I gathered many of our colleagues to continue doing what all of us love to do – helping people discover how to research their family’s unique history.

Now for the bargain: One lucky listener is going to win not one but two free classes from GenClass.

How can YOU win?

First you’ll want to listen to the interview to learn about GenClass. Then go to GenClass to see the classes for March and April and see which will help you in your quest.

Then send an email (to Genealogy Gems) with your name, state and email address. Don’t forget to include the topic you’d most like to learn about in 2009 on one of Genealogy Gem’s upcoming podcasts. The deadline is midnight, Sunday, Feb. 21.

One lucky winner will be drawn from all of the email entries, and will receive his or her choice of any two classes. Look for the winner on the Genealogy Gems News Blog and Episode 60 of the Genealogy Gems Podcast.

Re downloading the podcast – I had some false starts until I realized it works better if you have iTunes already installed. Read the FAQs to get detailed information – it’s very easy to follow. Then subscribe to all the Genealogy Gem podcasts – they’ll appear in your Library section.

Click on Podcast 59 to hear about GenClass. Hint: If you’re rushed for time, the first section of the podcast is a collection of good announcements and spotlights, and Alzo’s GenClass section starts at minute 32.

Win two free gen classes? Yes, you can!

Win two free genealogy classes by listening to Genealogy Gems’ Lisa Louise Cooke as she interviews Lisa Alzo of GenClass.

GenClass offers practical, information-packed, economical classes for those who want to know more. The topics are diverse, and include two Jewish genealogy classes as well as many other ethnic and general classes.

The core group of Genclass instructors taught online classes with MyFamily.com. When those classes were canceled by the website, Micha Reisel and I gathered many of our colleagues to continue doing what all of us love to do – helping people discover how to research their family’s unique history.

Now for the bargain: One lucky listener is going to win not one but two free classes from GenClass.

How can YOU win?

First you’ll want to listen to the interview to learn about GenClass. Then go to GenClass to see the classes for March and April and see which will help you in your quest.

Then send an email (to Genealogy Gems) with your name, state and email address. Don’t forget to include the topic you’d most like to learn about in 2009 on one of Genealogy Gem’s upcoming podcasts. The deadline is midnight, Sunday, Feb. 21.

One lucky winner will be drawn from all of the email entries, and will receive his or her choice of any two classes. Look for the winner on the Genealogy Gems News Blog and Episode 60 of the Genealogy Gems Podcast.

Re downloading the podcast – I had some false starts until I realized it works better if you have iTunes already installed. Read the FAQs to get detailed information – it’s very easy to follow. Then subscribe to all the Genealogy Gem podcasts – they’ll appear in your Library section.

Click on Podcast 59 to hear about GenClass. Hint: If you’re rushed for time, the first section of the podcast is a collection of good announcements and spotlights, and Alzo’s GenClass section starts at minute 32.