Choosing the right genealogy software can save time, reduce frustration, and keep your research organized—but with so many options, it can be difficult to know where to start. This session provides a practical framework for evaluating software, including key decisions such as online websites vs. desktop programs and free vs. subscription tools. We’ll review popular platforms like FamilySearch, Ancestry, and Family Tree Maker, and discuss how features like source citations, media management, syncing, and reporting support different research workflows. Attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of their options and the confidence to choose software that fits their goals and long-term research needs.

Ancestry.com is one of the most powerful genealogical tools we have – but it can be very intimidating. If you have been wanting to jump in but are not sure where to start, this is the class for you! I will explain how to get started, how to search for records and handle hints, what NOT to do when you find a match in someone else’s tree, what privacy settings to use, how to incorporate DNA test results, and how to use offline software like Family Tree Maker to keep your data safe. Enroll now to get a jump start on your research. I wish someone had given me these tips back when I started – maybe I wouldn’t have had to start my tree over from scratch! You can leapfrog those blunders and build a strong, interesting tree that will be a resource for generations to come. Your family history will be safe and sound. Optional: bring a laptop to follow along live. Youth ages 15-17 may register and attend with a registered adult.

Are you interested in building a powerful family tree but not ready to invest in any software or subscriptions? FamilySearch.org is an amazing free resource often overlooked next to giants like Ancestry.com. It is a non-profit organization with a mission to preserve important family records and make them freely accessibly online. They go all over the world to scan documents from even the tiniest village churches, and connect researchers working on the same family lines. I will help you understand how to use the different parts of the site, how to add your personal branch to their enormous collaborative tree, how to find and save records, how to use non-indexed resources, and how to take advantage of their powerful wiki instructional pages. Sign up now to make use of this remarkable resource. Too many people think they have to spend hundreds of dollars to piece together their heritage, and they end up doing nothing. With FamilySearch, you can stand on the shoulders of researchers before you, enjoying the fruits of their labor and contributing your own as we all work on “a family tree for the human family”. Youth ages 15-17 may register and attend with a registered adult.

Curious about your family tree, but not sure where to start? We are lucky to have hundreds of amazing resources available, but it can feel overwhelming to just dive in. I will hold your hand and get you started down the right path. We will go over what you need you get started, software to use, where to find records, how to keep track of everything, and how DNA testing fits in. You won’t need any special tools or software for this beginner’s class. I will be introducing concepts that can be applied wherever you end up doing your research. Enroll now to save yourself years of wasted work! There are so many things I wish I had known when I began. I don’t want you to learn them the hard way, too! We will go over everything you need to build a tree with strong roots so that someday, you can sit down with your grandkids and tell them your story. Note class location: Ridgedale YMCA, 12301 Ridgedale Dr, Minnetonka, MN 55305 (class participants do not need to be a member of the YMCA)