Scholarships Announced for Foresic Genealogy Institute

Here is a press release from the Council for Advancement of Forensic Genealogy. Anyone interested in this branch of genealogical research should probably consider applying.

Dallas, Texas – November 6, 2014 – The Council for the Advancement of Forensic Genealogy (CAFG) is now accepting applications for a $225 scholarship to the 4th Annual Forensic Genealogy Institute (FGI), to be held March 26-28, 2015, at the Wyndham Love Field Hotel in Dallas, Texas. Registration is now open at https://fgi2015.eventbrite.com. Tuition for each course is $445, and the scholarship covers more than 50% of that fee.

“The scholarship to CAFG’s Forensic Genealogy Institute is intended to ease the financial burden of advanced, professional education,” says Leslie Lawson, CAFG President. “The scholarship gives up-and-coming forensic/genetic genealogists the opportunity to advance their career and increase their skills.”

FGI 2015 will be the largest-ever offering of forensic genealogy for intermediate and advanced genealogists. Each FGI course offers 20 hours of instruction by expert forensic and genetic genealogists in just three days, minimizing travel costs and time away from family and work. Seats are limited at FGI, and registration is already more than 65% full, so early registration is encouraged.

Scholarship Application Process
The FGI scholarship is open to all FGI 2015 registrants. Individuals interested in financial assistance to attend the institute should send a request of not more than 400 words to institute@forensicgenealogists.org explaining how they feel receiving the FGI Scholarship might best help them and the field of forensic genealogy. Applications are due Friday, December 5, 2014. The scholarship recipient will receive a partial tuition refund of $225.

Those wanting to apply for the scholarship but who have not yet registered for FGI can do so online at https://fgi2015.eventbrite.com before submitting their application.

Brand-New, Advanced Training
FGI 2015 features two brand-new, concurrent courses designed for intermediate and advanced forensic genealogists:

  • Advanced Genetic Genealogy and Unknown-Parentage Cases
  • Forensic Genealogy Master Practicum

Taught by renowned genetic genealogists CeCe Moore and Angie Bush, the “Advanced Genetic Genealogy and Unknown-Parentage Cases” course applies DNA and traditional genealogical research to uncovering the genetic heritage of individuals with unknown parentage. This area of forensic research is expanding rapidly, and genealogists who can use DNA to successfully address unknown-parentage cases are in great demand. Full course details are available at www.forensicgenealogists.org/institute/courses.
The “Forensic Genealogy Master Practicum” offers practical, real-life experience. Students will leave the course having written 3 forensic reports and participated in a mock trial. In the most recent CAFG newsletter, Master Practicum coordinator Wanda Smith offers an in-depth explanation of this hands-on, interactive course: http://www.forensicgenealogists.org/wp-content/uploads/CAFG_Vol-4_Issue-6_September-October.pdf.

Courses are expected to fill, so early registration is encouraged at https://fgi2015.eventbrite.com.

About CAFG
Established in 2011, the Council for the Advancement of Forensic Genealogy (CAFG) is a business league with a professional membership dedicated to the advancement of forensic genealogy, which is research, analysis, and reporting in cases with legal implications. CAFG promotes high standards of professional and ethical conduct, provides education and training opportunities, and assists in professional development though mentorship, full membership, credentialing, and awarding of fellowships. Learn more at www.forensicgenealogists.org.

Genealogy Education: Free Webinars for 2015 from the Illinois State Genealogical Society

The Illinois State Genealogical Society just published their webinar schedule for 2015. Live broadcasts of all 12 webinars are free and open to the public. There are some very good topics on offer. Here is the post from their blog, which they’ve invited people to share in its entirety:

The Illinois State Genealogical Society (ISGS) is happy to announce the continuation of its popular FREE monthly webinar program in 2015. The 2015 ISGS Webinar Series would not be possible without the generous contributions received throughout 2014 and the generous sponsorship provided by FamilySearch.

Registration for the 2015 webinars is now open! You’ll find a fantastic lineup of presentations and speakers and we hope you will join us for a wonderful educational experience.

The ISGS webinars, which are live lectures/presentations that you can attend via a computer with an internet connection, are held as a live broadcast on thesecond Tuesday of each month at 8:00 PM Central. The live broadcast of each webinars is FREE to the public. ISGS members who are unable to attend the live broadcast are able to access recordings of all past webinars through the Members Section of the ISGS website, to watch at their convenience.

ISGS 2015 Webinar Schedule

So what does 2015 have in store? Here is our amazing lineup!

January 13 – Using Google Earth for Genealogy
Presenter: Lisa Louise Cooke
Registration: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2933074072977427457

February 3 – Basic Scandinavian Research*
Presenter: Diana Crisman Smith
Registration: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6829079176792483329
* Note: This webinar is scheduled on the first Tuesday of the month due to the RootsTech conference taking place the following week.

March 10 – Finding Your Femme Fatales: Exploring the Dark Side of Female Ancestors
Presenter: Lisa Alzo
Registration: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/792741648604580353

April 14 – Using Evernote as Your Primary Tool for Capturing Notes and Ideas
Presenter: Drew Smith
Registration: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8189883145839699201

May 12 – Need Direction? Try City Directories!
Presenter: Jean Wilcox Hibben, CG
Registration: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6094939660972982529

June 9 – Understanding Our Families, Understanding Ourselves
Presenter: Ron Arons
Registration: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/4967076026363157761

July 14 – Dissect Obituaries for New Clues
Presenter: George G. Morgan
Registration: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/723818762217470209

August 11 – School Daze – Finding and Using School Records to Trace Our Ancestors
Presenter: Peggy Clemens Lauritzen, AG
Registration: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6372036382381853697

September 8 – Using Tax Records for Genealogical Problem Solving
Presenter: Dr. Michael D. Lacopo
Registration: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5664379703628947969

October 13 – Polish Genealogy – Four Steps to Successful Research
Presenter: Steve Szabados
Registration: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8211336816720900865

November 10 – In-laws and Outlaws: The Bylaws of Talking About The Family Skeletons
Presenter: Janet Hovorka
Registration: Stay tuned!**
** GoToWebinar only allows scheduling less than one year in advance. Check back after November 10th for the registration link.

December 8 – The US Federal Census: Good, Bad and Ugly for Genealogists
Presenter: Gary Smith
Registration: Stay tuned!**
** GoToWebinar only allows scheduling less than one year in advance. Check back after December 8th for the registration link.

Additional Webinar Information

  • All webinars take place at 8:00 PM Central.
  • For additional information on our webinar series, visit our ISGS Webinars page at http://ilgensoc.org/cpage.php?pt=227.
  • You may also want to review our Webinar FAQs athttp://ilgensoc.org/cpage.php?pt=316.
  • Don’t forget to spread the word! Forward this email onto your friends and colleagues, post the information to social media sites and/or your blog/website, or print out a few copies of our webinar flyer to hand out at your local society meetings. The flyer for the 2015 series can be accessed at http://bit.ly/isgs2015webinarbrochure.

Again, a big thank-you to all of the webinar donation fund contributors and to FamilySearch for sponsoring the entire 2015 webinar series! We couldn’t do it without you!!