Getting a GRIP on the 2012 Inaugural Session of the Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh

If success of a venture can be measured in "repeat business" GRIP has found a place as a valuable resource for genealogical education with the inaugural session at La Roche College in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Hopefully, Institute Directors Debbie Deal and Elissa Scalise Powell are enjoying a bit of R&R after a week of classes, lectures, and full-time "directing" to make sure that everything ran smoothly.

In my Intermediate Course with Paula Stuart-Warren, more than a few people were asking for "preferred" registration status for next year's six-course lineup. Don't worry, according to Elissa, that won't happen and everyone will get the same opportunity to sign up when registration opens, but the enthusiasm of the first attendees is a good indication of GRIP's achievement.

Each of the four courses offered an outstanding instructor and a curriculum of targeted lectures and hands-on exercises. The classrooms were comfortable and well-equipped, the evening lectures were varied and interesting, and the dorm accommodations were convenient and economical. The cafeteria food was an unexpected highlight featuring local fresh ingredients in a changing daily menu. 

I shouldn't really be writing all this because now it's going to be tougher for me to get a spot next year! 

My Personal Take-away from GRIP

I learned so much about becoming a better, more effective researcher, from the instructors as well as from my classmates. I learned that collaboration is a good thing. Although I've attended several conferences and seminars, I often spend most of my social time with geneabloggers where conversation tends to move towards social networking, marketing, and the technology of blogging. I met several bloggers at GRIP, but the emphasis for all of us was on learning how to be better genealogists, rather than on how to be more effective bloggers.

Reading posts from some of the other bloggers in attendance emphasizes the week's focus. I enjoyed meeting Christy Webb, Karen Blackmore, Michelle Chubenko, Chris Staats, Shelley Bishop, and Cathy Desmarias for the first time and catching up with old friend Becky Wiseman, but we were all at GRIP intent on the same purpose, to become better genealogists. 

Would I go again? In a flash. But, I'd pack away a six-pack of Diet Coke; La Roche is dedicated Pepsi Country, and that can make for some tough study sessions.

GRIP Day Two: Getting Into the Groove

It sounds rather dull to say we are setting into a routine here at GRIP, so instead I'll suggest that we are moving toward Genealogy Zen. We wake, we eat, we listen, talk, and think genealogy. We move from dorm room, to classroom, to cafeteria, back and forth and KGEN plays continually on the radio without interruption.  

Today the Intermediate class heard sessions on citing sources and finding information through NUCMUC, NARA, and JSTOR, with a two-hour after-dinner presentation on using Google Earth and map overlays for genealogy projects. Paula and Josh have so many tips and tricks for effective searches and little-known repositories that I'm keeping a running ToDo List for my own research.

Collaboration is clearly a keyword this week, and hearing ideas from classmates points out the experience and expertise of so many researchers. The trick is connecting and sharing so we can help one another. Paula made a good case in class for enlisting help and hiring local researchers to expedite a project or as guides to help you become acclimated in a new repository or locality. I had never thought about it before, but it really makes a lot of sense to seek out an expert at times.

Genealogy bloggers tend to read about each others interests and specialities on their blogs making it fairly easy to connect online, but it takes just a bit of conversation to figure out the same information in person. 

The Getting a GRIP daily newsletter listed attendees from 28 states and Italy. Just imagine the wealth of experience --

Pennsylvania: 26

Ohio: 17

Maryland: 10

Virginia: 7

New York: 6

New Jersey, West Virginia: 5 each

California: 4

Colorado, Minnesota, Washington: 3 each

Maine, Michigan: 2 each

One each from: Italy, Arkansas, Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, Vermont, Wisconsin

Tomorrow the Intermediate course moves on to Land and Tax Records, Court Records, Military Records, and Research in "New" Localities. It promises to be a long and interesting day concluding after dinner with a two hour session on Pennsylvania Research. 

Time for Lights Out!

GRIP Pittsburgh Day One Recap

We aren't in California anymore!

After a full day of travel that began in the wee hours of the morning, I finally arrived at La Roche College in Pittsburgh for the inaugural session of the Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh (GRIP). And, if the student and faculty buzz is any indication, GRIP will become a popular annual event along with long-established programs IGHR (Samford) and SLIG (Salt Lake City).

The program opened Sunday evening with dinner and a short orientation. Course booklets distributed along with dorm assignments and keys gave a glimpse into the week's program. Some notebooks were noticeably heavy -- in particular, those books for Tom Jones' Advanced Methodology Course.

Four courses were offered this year --

Intermediate Genealogy with Paula Stuart-Warren

Advance Research Methods with Thomas W. Jones

Beneath the Home Page with D. Joshua Taylor

German Genealogical Research Research with John T. Humphrey

I knew I wanted to attend GRIP when I first heard about the program. It was scheduled during a "slow season" for genealogical events, and the program offerings were all great.

My only dilemma was deciding what course to attend. Ultimately, I chose Intermediate Genealogy because my personal research has been in a bit of a slump for the past few years, and I was pretty sure Paula Stuart-Warren's enthusiasm would give it a real boost of energy. I was also interested in the sessions that would be taught by Josh Taylor throughout the week.

Dawn Comes Early

Although I had been "in training" for the past few days, waking up earlier each morning, my alarm went off way too soon this morning. There's no room service in Bold Hall Dorm, so I made my way to the cafeteria for a hot breakfast and a few cups of coffee before class. 

The morning session began promptly at 8:30 with Paula on "Analyzing Documents: Self-Judging Your Expertise," followed in the afternoon with Josh Taylor on "20th Century Compiled Genealogies" and Paula on "Vital Records and Substitutes." Five hours of solid genealogy instruction followed by dinner, Maia's Books sale, and the evening talk presented by Pamela Stone Eagleson on writing a family narrative. 

Now that it's evening I've caught a second wind and that California inner clock is ticking loud and strong. In fact, it feels like late afternoon. I've got time for a few more hours of online research. . .

Off to GRIP for Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh

One Week of Genealogy Education

In just a few days I will be headed east for five days of intensive genealogy education at the GRIP Institute in Pittsburgh. Although I've attended national and local conferences, this is my first Institute and I'm a bit unsure what I need to bring along. . .

Sheri Fenley will tell me to bring shoes, of course. Midge Frazel would probably recommend an organized contingent of e-devices. And I am thinking that footnoteMaven would insist on chocolate.

Right now I'm working on transportation. I have to get from the airport out to the college, and since it sounds like the schedule is full enough that I won't have time to miss a car, I'm working out ground transportation.

My real quandary is just how much personal research materials I need to bring along. I'm in the midst of a giant scanning project, so things are in a bit of an uproar around here with archival boxes, folders, and photo sleeves. And, in moving from a PC to Mac my entire system went through an upheaval that still hasn't settled.

I am registered for the Intermediate Genealogy course which is coordinated by Paula Stuart-Warren with Josh Taylor as instructor. My research has been in a bit of a sad slump since my mom passed away two summers ago, and I hope a week of GRIP genealogy will light a fire to get me moving forward once again. It's time to find Mom's Winsor ancestors and finish that DAR application!

Update on Friday, July 20, 2012 by Family Curator

Karen, I'm just now hearing some names of other attendees, and there will be so many people I'm excited to meet. See you there!