Top 5 Reasons I Like Institute Courses

There are many reasons to think about attending an institute course.  Here are my Top 5.

1. Some of the top genealogists in the world teach institute courses.  You’ll learn from the best.  And unlike a conference where you might be one of 100 or more anonymous people in a conference room, institutes typically have a limited number of seats available for any given course.  You’ll get to know your instructors and they’ll get to know you.  These connections and relationships are invaluable as you progress in your genealogical journey. 
2. Your fellow students, too, are serious about honing their skills.  They, too, often have some level of expertise that you might learn from. Their dedication to the field might also inspire you.  By spending four or five full days in the trenches classroom with your fellow students, you’ll form lasting bonds with them.  
3. Many genealogists go year after year to the institutes.  It’s great to catch up at the opening social, or spy an old friend in the coffee line. I didn’t know you were here! What course are you taking?  The buzz on social media as people post about their institute plans fills me with excitement about who I’m going to get to see. 
4. The bookstore! – many institutes have an area set aside for a book vendor.  You’ll find treasures you never even knew existed. 
5. Professional organizations including the International Commission for the Accreditation of Professional Genealogists (ICAPGen), the Board for Certification of Genealogists® (BCG) and the Association of Professional Genealogists (APG) often have a presence institutes.  You can talk to members and learn how to further your professional development.  For example, BCG generally makes application portfolios available for review. I set aside time at every institute to look at these samples, and they have taken me from a newbie who had no idea what a portfolio even was, all the way to the time when I was on the threshold of submitting a portfolio of my own and wanted the reassurances in my own mind that my work would not be out of place in such a collection. (And major excitement! – I just learned this week that I earned the Certified Genealogist Credential [1].  Woohoo!)

What are your favorite things about institutes?

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[1] - Certified Genealogist and CG are registered trademarks and the designations CGL, and Certified Genealogical Lecturer are service marks of the Board for Certification of Genealogists® , used under license by Board certificants who meet competency standards.

Disclaimer – The Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy has provided me a discount on my SLIG 2020 tuition for my participation as a SLIG ambassador..  The opinions expressed are my own.