I recently spoke with a group of Family History majors at Brigham Young University about the ICAPGen accreditation process. I shared the requirements for and benefits of accreditation with them. This teaching opportunity caused me to reflect on my own journey to accreditation.
As I completed my Four Generation Project and prepared for the Written Exams and the Final Project, I gained valuable research skills, learned best practices and methodology, and improved my genealogical writing skills. By the time I earned my credential, I felt better qualified to continue with the client work I had begun a few years earlier.
Through my journey to accreditation and after earning my credential in March 2022, I have developed a valuable network of colleagues and had opportunities presented to me that I would not have otherwise qualified for. Along with continued client research, I have been able to speak at conferences and mentor aspiring professionals through the ICAPGen study groups, the ProGen Study Groups, and in my new role as the assistant director of the Center for Family History and Genealogy at Brigham Young University. In this role, I mentor over forty aspiring genealogists as they perform research for several amazing projects.
Opportunities for those who have earned the Accredited Genealogist® credential are abundant. If you want to take your research skills to the next level and/or further your genealogy career, the accreditation process is for you. There is a unique opportunity happening on Thursdays from 27 March through 24 April 2025. Lisa Stokes, the new ICAPGen president, has gathered a team of Accredited Genealogist® professionals to present a course for SLIG Virtual 2025. Here is the course description:
Earning the Accredited Genealogist credential with the International Commission for the Accreditation of Professional Genealogists (ICAPGen) provides opportunities to demonstrate your research proficiency in a chosen region. Benefits include strengthened research skills, confidence in performing client work, and respect in the genealogy community.
This interactive, hands-on course will cover the requirements for each ICAPGen accreditation step and give valuable information needed for successful testing. Homework assignments will provide essential skill-building activities. Peer review using ICAPGen rubrics will provide vital feedback to students. A four-hour practice project and a personalized meeting with an AG mentor, knowledgeable in the chosen region of accreditation, will cap off the course. Discover your accreditation readiness as you learn more about the testing process and receive peer and mentor feedback on your work.
I will be presenting two sessions for this course. One is all about research logs, and the second focuses on preparing for the Final Project. Additional presenters include Lisa Stokes, Jana Greenhalgh, Jenny Hansen, Torhild Shirley, and Mindy Taylor. I have heard each of these amazing genealogists speak and teach. You will be delighted with their presentation style and content.
I highly recommend this course! It will help you understand and prepare for the accreditation process. I hope you will join us! You can learn more and register for the course on the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy website. You can also watch the following video, where Lisa Stokes and Diana Elder (who co-coordinated the course two years ago) give more specifics and share their excitement about the course.
