Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy

A death certificate can tell you when someone died.

A census can tell you where they lived.

A story can help future generations understand who they were.

Join Bring 'Em Back to Life: Writing Our Ancestors' Stories and learn how to weave records, context, and family history into narratives that preserve not just facts, but lives. Learn more and register now to save your seat. https://academy.ugagenealogy.org/courses/bring-em-back-to-life-writing-our-ancestors-stories-2/

Many genealogists worry about who will inherit their research.

A better question might be: Will anyone understand it?

Family stories are far more likely to survive when they're written in ways that connect with future generations. In Bring 'Em Back to Life: Writing Our Ancestors' Stories, you'll learn how to turn facts, records, and timelines into stories that endure.

Your ancestors' stories deserve an audience. https://academy.ugagenealogy.org/courses/bring-em-back-to-life-writing-our-ancestors-stories-2/

Explore 250 years of American history through the lives of everyday people and discover how their experiences shaped the nation and your family story. See history in a whole new way through migration, reform, and resilience.

https://academy.ugagenealogy.org/courses/independence-and-identity-250-years-of-opportunity-diversity-and-belonging-in-america/

The Revolution. Westward expansion. The Civil War. Immigration through Ellis Island. The Great Depression. World War II.

History feels different when it's your family living through it.

In Independence & Identity, we'll examine 250 years of American history through the experiences of ordinary people.
https://academy.ugagenealogy.org/courses/independence-and-identity-250-years-of-opportunity-diversity-and-belonging-in-america/

The best genealogy happens when records meet context.

Why did families move west? Why did immigrants settle where they did? How did wars, epidemics, economic downturns, and reform movements affect everyday lives?

In Independence & Identity: 250 Years of Opportunity, Diversity, and Belonging in America, you'll explore the social, political, economic, and cultural forces that shaped the lives of ordinary Americans from the Revolution to the present day.

This course connects genealogy and social history, helping you understand not just what your ancestors did, but why they made the choices they did.

If you're ready to add depth, context, and meaning to your family history research, reserve your seat today. https://academy.ugagenealogy.org/courses/independence-and-identity-250-years-of-opportunity-diversity-and-belonging-in-america/

Your ancestors deserve more than names and dates on a chart.

In this video, Cheri talks with Jenifer Kahn Bakkala about her SLIG Fall Virtual course “Bring ’Em Back to Life: Writing Our Ancestors’ Stories” and why storytelling is such an important part of family history research.

If you’ve ever wanted to turn your research into stories your family will actually read and remember, this video is for you.

Watch now and learn more about the course.

Bring ’Em Back to Life: Writing Our Ancestors’ Stories- Jenifer Kahn Bakkala Cheri talks to Jenifer Kahn Bakkala about her SLIG course -Bring ’Em Back to Life: Writing Our Ancestors’ StoriesStories that are not shared become lost. As ...

Congratulations to Dr. Tamiquia T. Simon, recipient of the SLIG First Time Attendees Scholarship!

Dr. Simon is a lifelong genealogist, educator, and founder of Roots of Return Genealogy, where she specializes in diasporic African ancestry research, particularly helping families break through the 1870 brick wall.

Inspired by generations of family storytelling and memory preservation, her work focuses on reconnecting families with ancestral narratives impacted by displacement, enslavement, and historical erasure. Through her Roots of Return Methodology, Dr. Simon combines historical records, land and probate analysis, community reconstruction, and evidence-based research strategies to uncover stories too often lost across generations.

A former educator with 15 years of classroom experience, Dr. Simon is also the author of a genealogy research handbook and continues to advocate for meaningful, evidence-centered family history research.

As the recipient of the SLIG First Time Attendees Scholarship, she will attend Advanced Evidence Practicum.

Please join us in congratulating Dr. Simon on this well-deserved recognition!

Congratulations to Emuron Daniel of Uganda, recipient of the SLIG Foundations Scholarship!

Emuron serves as a Family History Consultant and FamilySearch Center Coordinator in the Jinja Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and is actively involved in genealogy education and community-centered family history initiatives in Uganda.

Through his work, he helps individuals and families understand the importance of preserving family records and connecting with their ancestors, while also exploring the relationship between African oral traditions, storytelling, and genealogy.

Emuron hopes to build a strong foundation in evidence-based genealogical research and continue advancing his education in the field. We are honored to support him as he takes this next step through the Foundations course at SLIG.

Please join us in congratulating Emuron on this well-deserved opportunity!

You found the hometown. Now what?

For many researchers, German genealogy becomes overwhelming after that first big discovery. Records can be difficult to locate, hard to read, and scattered across different repositories and jurisdictions.

German Phase 2: Research in the Hometown Online is designed to help researchers take the next step with confidence. From church and civil records to archives, military records, maps, and case studies, this course focuses on practical strategies you can immediately apply to your own research.

If you’re ready to move beyond the basics and dig deeper into your German ancestry, now is the time to register for SLIG Fall Virtual 2026. https://academy.ugagenealogy.org/courses/german-phase-2-research-in-the-hometown-online/