New Lectures

I've been teaching alot this year about what I found when I set about trying to figure out the best ways to engage your family with their family history and write my book.  Last week's lecture at the BYU genealogy conference went well and I'm the keynote this weekend at the UVTAGG meeting. Every time I teach it I learn new things and add more about what I've been experimenting with.

Zap The Grandma Gap
The 10 most important ideas to connect to your posterity by connecting them to their past. If they don't like family history you are doing it wrong. This class will take you from snoring and boring to exciting and inviting.

I'm excited this weekend to try out my new workshop too for the second hour of instruction.  This workshop was just accepted for RootsTech 2014 so I'm glad I get to try it out on UVTAGG first so they can help me work out the kinks.  

“Zap the Grandma Gap” Leave a Heritage Workshop 
How do you leave a heritage for your descendants? Based on the book and workbook Zap The Grandma Gap Power Up Workbook: The Particulars About How To Connect To Your Family By Connecting Them To Their Family History, (www.zapthegrandmagap.com) we’ll work together to brainstorm about what will work in your family. Power up with the group and let’s figure out together how to raise the next generation of grounded and inspired family historians. 

And I'm most proud of the fact that my 15 year old son submitted and was accepted to teach at RootsTech too.  He'll be teaching:

Get To Know Your Geezers.   (Apparently RootsTech does have a sense of humor.  He absolutely came up with that one himself.)

Get started in genealogy by visiting the top sites used by professional genealogists.  We’ll explore how to sign up and get started collecting your family history on the three biggest sites, Ancestry.com, FamilySearch.org and MyHeritage.com.  Recommended for 18 and younger. 

 
I've been working this summer on several new lectures.  See the list below.  For a full list of all my current lectures see www.janethovorka.com.  I love speaking to genealogy groups--I always learn so much and make such great friends.  If I can come speak to your group, let me know at janet@familychartmasters.com

Turn Your Family History Into A Coloring Book Workshop--Computer Lab Workshop 
Bring 5 fun family stories, a five generation pedigree chart and a few family images and you can turn your family history into a coloring/workbook for you to share with the younger members of your family. Great for family reunions or for gifts, we'll help you easily tell the story of your family in a fun and engaging way. 

Mom and Pop Culture: Creating A Culture of Family History in Your Family And Your Home 
Teach your family about their family history in a painless way by just breathing it into the life around you. The next generation can learn about their past simply in the way that you live. Give them all the soul satisfying benefits of knowing where they came from and build strong family relationships with a strong family narrative. 

In-laws and Outlaws: The Bylaws of Teaching Youth About The Family Skeletons
Sharing your family history can strengthen your youth and give them scaffolding for the future but every family has a few sticking points. So it is all in the way you frame it. Here are some rules for making sure your family learns from the past and proceeds forward into the future in a healthy way. 

Trip the Tree Fantastic: Intriguing Family History Trips for the Whole Family 
How do you prepare, organize and execute a family history trip for your family members so that they will enjoy the ride? These are the people who should care, how do you get them there? 

The Cool Parts of Family History: Engaging My Teenagers. 
The adventures and pratfalls of how it went when I tried to engage my teenagers in family history. Come be inspired by what might work with your kids. Get prepared to reach the toughest crowd in your family. 

Post It Forward: Lessons To Learn From The Family History Records My Great-Grandfather Left. What happens over three generations to the family history records in a family? And what will happen to your records over the next three generations in your family? My Great-Grandfather did his best to preserve his records for coming generations but he couldn’t foresee the iPad and YouTube generation. Likewise you can’t see into the future but there are measures you can take now to help make sure your Great-Great-Great-Grandchildren can learn about their heritage. 

The Mother of Connection: How my mother turned her children into genealogists and how you can too. 
This class will cover tons of ideas for creating excitement in your family about the people who came before. We’ll discuss activities and give resources for involving all ages. We’ll also talk about how to surround yourself with various reminders of your heritage to encourage curiosity in the family, and give a sense of perspective. You can create a feeling of belonging in your family members by sharing with them where they come from.