Articles by Angela Breidenbach

Angela Breidenbach, PLCGS, is the Executive Director at the International Institute of Genealogical Studies. She's a multi-published author, speaker, and presenter. Find out more about her books at https://AngelaBreidenbach.com

New Course: Research US Midwestern States Ancestors

New Course: Research US Midwestern States Ancestors

  We have a new course starting in May at The National Institute for Genealogical Studies. Written by Cari Taplin, CG, Research: U.S. Midwestern States Ancestors is designed to give students a basic understanding of some of the historical events that occurred in each state, especially events that shaped the state’s history, boundaries, laws, and records. The states included in this course were all part of the Louisiana Purchase of 1803: Arkansas, Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Each state is unique in its geographical formation, social attitudes, political structure, ethnicity, industry and historical records. The modules included are aimed at giving researchers information to aid understanding of these states individually and to provide tools for researching family history, not only in terms of the individual, but also in their broader social context. Professional genealogist and course author Cari Taplin, CG points out, “As the country expanded from east to west, our ancestors traveled through and sometimes stayed in the midwestern states. Researching in those states is vital to most family history research. The rich and unique history of each state is interesting and can be very rewarding. Learning about the nuances of the region will improve your research skills and bring life to your genealogy.” To learn more about this course, see our website. Research: U.S. Midwestern States Ancestors starts May 2nd. Register today!

New Course: Australian Church Records

  The National Institute is proud to announce a new course added to our Australian Certificate Program. Australian: Church Records, authored by genealogist Shauna Hicks,  examines religious resources that are available in Australia. Major emphasis has been placed on Christianity and the various church records available for the main Christian denominations in Australia. Parish records such as baptisms, marriages and burials and other lesser known church records are examined. Religions other than Christianity are also looked at briefly as Australia has been a multicultural country since the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788. This course begins March 7th. Register today!

Updated Course: Writing Your Family History Book

Is it time to take all of that family history research you’ve been working on and start writing? Recording interesting family stories is essential if you want future generations to read your family history book. Our new course, Writing Your Family History Book by researcher and author Lisa Alzo M.F.A.,  will help you do just that. 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. To learn more about this course see our website. The next offering of this course begins February 1st.

New Course: Eastern European Introduction

The National Institute for Genealogical Studies is proud to announce a new course written by author and professional genealogist Lisa Alzo, Eastern European: Introduction to Research for North Americans. A vast number of immigrants came to North America from various areas in Central and Eastern Europe in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Unfortunately, in the past, those with Eastern European roots have been reticent to begin research on their immigrant ancestors due to perceived barriers of language, geography, and difficulty with accessing and understanding the records. The purpose of this course is to begin the teaching of genealogical concepts pertinent to Eastern European research. It introduces the basic concepts needed to succeed in Eastern European research, and begins to dispel the notion that Eastern European research is difficult. Actually, from a research perspective, it is much easier than it used to be thanks to a surge in interest, the Internet, and greater accessibility to archival records and other resources. To learn more about this course and to register see our website.

Happy Holidays To You!

  How about taking a moment to treat yourself to a gift? Now’s the time to get a deal on that course you have been wanting to take or that course package you need for your certificate.   Our gift to you, from now until the end of December, choose one of the following: 20% off one single package of your choice (Savings of up to $650) 50% off one single course of your choice (Savings of up to $80) To claim your discount use the following codes at checkout: Holiday20 for one single package of your choice Holiday50 for one single course of your choice   Hurry! Like 2015, this offer ends at midnight on December 31st.