Unable to attend RootsTech 2019 in Salt Lake City this year? Don’t worry! Many of the sights and learnings from the conference will be streamed live on our home page! Join us starting Wednesday, February 27, at 9:30 a.m. MST to hear from popular speakers such as Diahan Southard, Kenyatta Berry, Crista Cowan, and Blaine Bettinger. General sessions featuring keynote speakers will also be streamed. Join the conversation happening on social media using #NotAtRootsTech.
View the free streaming schedule below or HERE.
WEDNESDAY, 27 February (MST times)
* 9:30 a.m. -- What’s New at FamilySearch?
Ron Tanner of FamilySearch International reviews the latest features and capabilities released on FamilySearch, their value, and why the changes were made. See the future of FamilySearch.
* 11:00 a.m. -- Hear Them Sing! Social History and Family Narrative
Join Rebecca Whitman Koford as she discusses how the addition of social history enhances family narratives and clarifies the songs of our ancestors. She will discuss how to contextualize ancestors’ lives with social history research and use it to inspire others to want to know more about those who have passed.
* 1:30 p.m. -- Uncovering Family Stories with British and Irish Historic Newspapers (Sponsored by Findmypast)
Myko Clelland discusses the numerous digitized collection of millions of pages of local and national historic newspapers, covering 300 years of history from every county in Britain and Ireland. Get the full scoop with the Findmypast vast collection, and discover how to make the most of the stories contained within this huge resource.
* 3:00 p.m. -- Connecting Your DNA Matches
Diahan Southard takes you through your DNA match list and explains the Shared Matches tool. Learn how to create and employ a number of tools to boost your confidence in your genetic genealogy skills.
* 4:30 p.m. -- Wednesday General Session and Opening Event
Steve Rockwood, CEO of FamilySearch International, will be the featured keynote speaker and will explore the connections that come through genealogy. Entertainment will be provided by the world-renowned a cappella group The Edge Effect.
THURSDAY, 28 February (MST times)
* 8:00 a.m. -- Making the Leap—Becoming a Professional Genealogist (Power Hour)
In this power hour session, Luana Darby, Valerie Elkins, and Anne Teerlink explore how to make a successful transition from hobbyist to a career as a professional. Learn about the importance of diversifying your talents, and discover the ways to earn income as a genealogist.
* 9:30 a.m. -- Finally! German Church Records and How to Use Them on FamilySearch
Join Trish Melander, and explore the German Church records that are now being published on FamilySearch. These are records rich in centuries of history and contain baptisms, marriages, burials, and even confirmations.
* 11:00 a.m. -- Thursday General Session: Patricia Heaton
Nobody knows family quite like Emmy award-winning actress Patricia Heaton. Known for her humorous roles as a typical American housewife in big hit television series’ like Everybody Loves Raymond and The Middle, Patricia has won many prestigious awards and the hearts of television viewers worldwide. Don’t miss this opportunity to watch one of the most recognized actresses in the world tell her story in person—a story that perfectly illustrates what it looks like to follow your heart, exercise faith, and persist until you achieve great success.
* 1:30 p.m. -- What You Don’t Know about Ancestry (Sponsored by Ancestry)
Join Crista Cowan, and preview Ancestry’s cool new tools that are geared to improve and accelerate your family history research.
* 3:00 p.m. -- “Jumping the Broom,” Oil, Inheritance, and African American Marriage in the South
Kenyatta Berry will cover the tradition of jumping the broom, the informal marriage ceremony for the enslaved. Kenyatta will also share the story of her paternal ancestors in Arkansas and East Texas, and she will detail how she used primary and secondary sources to discover her ancestor’s connection to the oil industry in Arkansas and Texas.
* 4:30 p.m. -- Perilous Assumptions: Revisiting Those First Finds
Despite the best of intentions, many family history researchers make incorrect assumptions about records that don’t quite fit. Kris Rzepczynski will explore false assumptions, revisiting those mistakes, and the family history discoveries that may await.
FRIDAY, 1 March (MST times)
* 8:00 a.m. -- Your Personal Story (Power Hour)
Join Amy Johnson Crow, Scott Fisher, and Curt Witcher, and discover the ways to record and preserve your individual story for future generations.
* 9:30 a.m. -- Essential Considerations for DNA Evidence
Blaine Bettinger will explain how to use DNA evidence correctly and correlated with documentary evidence. In this session he will examine some of the considerations, limitations, and pitfalls we should consider when using DNA evidence.
* 11:00 a.m. -- Friday General Session: Saroo Brierley
Perhaps no one knows the joy that comes from connecting with family better than Saroo Brierley. Saroo will share his remarkable story of how he used technology to reconnect with the land of his childhood and rediscover his family.
* 1:30 p.m. -- Getting the Most Out of Billions of Records on MyHeritage SuperSearch (Sponsored by MyHeritage)
One of the best ways to maximize MyHeritage is to host your tree at MyHeritage, where the systems will automatically help you find new records, fill gaps in your existing tree, and provide matches that can help you efficiently discover new ancestors and family members. In this session, Mike Mansfield will help you learn how to move your tree from online tree systems to MyHeritage and how MyHeritage works with your tree to find new and additional information that you can easily evaluate and add to your tree.
* 3:00 p.m. -- Discover Your Japanese Ancestors
Join Valerie Elkins, and learn how to find your Japanese ancestors in Japan. Discover how to obtain your family’s vital records from Japan and climb your family tree. Japanese are wonderful record-keepers, but accessing those records can be challenging without knowing how to proceed.
* 4:30 p.m. -- The Research Road Map: Your Path to Success
Amy Johnson Crow explains why having a research plan is more than making a to-do list. See how having a good plan is essential to making progress in your research and making it less frustrating.
SATURDAY, 2 March (MST times)
* 8:00 a.m. -- Trace the Story of Immigrant Ancestors in 3 Steps (Power Hour)
Susan Miller, D. Joshua Taylor, and Frederick Wertz explore 3 key steps to unlocking the story of your immigrant ancestors with the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society.
* 9:30 a.m. -- Examining Your DNA Matches with DNA Painter
DNA Painter is a website that can help interpret and demystify your autosomal DNA results. Using practical examples, Jonny Perl will demonstrate how DNA Painter can be used for a variety of activities including chromosome mapping and relationship prediction for unknown DNA matches.
* 11:00 a.m. -- Saturday General Session: Jake Shimabukuro
World renowned ukulele master Jake Shimabukuro will be the keynote speaker. Get ready to hear Jake’s inspiring story, and listen to the one-of-a-kind ukulele musician play the instrument like you’ve never heard it before.
* 1:30 p.m. -- Leading with Science at 23andMe (Sponsored by 23andMe)
In this session, Sarah Lashkey will walk through how research works at 23andMe and how you can contribute to scientific discoveries.
* 3:00 p.m. -- The Silent Language of the Stones: Reading Gravestones through Symbols and Carvings
Symbols and icons have been used on tombstones for centuries, but it was not until the mid-1800s that this secret language on the stones became popular. Joy Neighbors will explore these symbols and statues that tell stories of the deceased, including family relationships, religious affiliations, military service, occupations, and society memberships.
