Census records are among the most rich and rewarding family history records available. Depending on which census your ancestor is in, you can learn where he or she lived at a particular place or time, learn his or her place of birth, what he or she did for a living, how many times they were married and other bits of valuable information. Each census is a little different than the previous census. In this class you will learn what information is available on each census record. Using this knowledge you can find census information to advance your search for your ancestors. Taught by Dave McCready.

From the Valley of Hearts Delight to the high‐tech capital of the world, the Santa Clara Valley has gone through tremendous ecological as well as cultural changes. These changes have been shaped by the rich diversity of settlers, people who brought with them their industry, cultures and habits. How did a booming agricultural era, followed by a shift to urbanization affect the landscape, flora and fauna and what are the ecological changes and resulting issues? Cristina Siegel is an Environmental Studies Lecturer at SJSU, Board Member of the San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory, and active volunteer for the Peninsula Open Space Trust. Her love of the natural environment generated building and living for 15 years in an off‐grid, solar powered cabin on 34 acres of beautiful Blue Ridge mountain land.

Did you do that DNA test? Do you have your results and don’t know what to do with them? Pat Burrow and Teri Mortola will show you how to review the matches from your recent tests and create more branches on the family tree. They show you how to determine how close a relative your match is and what to do with that information. There will be tips on how to connect with those relatives and stories about what you might find with your own ancestors. Once you have learned how to approach the information provided, you will have an opportunity to do some hands‐on, in your own account, with assistance from knowledgeable volunteers. Your results, your information, and your laptop computer or tablet.

REQUIREMENTS: Must have taken the FamilyTree DNA or 23&Me DNA test and received results. If you plan on attending the hands‐on part of the class (last hour), must bring your laptop or tablet.

Have you thought about testing your DNA but did not know which test to do? Or, are you one who has tested your DNA, but you don’t know how to use the tools to break through your brick wall? Patricia Burrow will give a basic introduction into DNA testing, covering the four different DNA types. Not sure which company to use to test your DNA? Pat will cover the top four companies to show you what is available from each company and will discuss their strong points and weaknesses. Pam Fujii will walk you through her case study on how she used three companies. Pam will show you the tools she used to find new family members. We guarantee when you leave the session, you will be thinking of DNA testing in a whole new light!

Did you do that DNA test? Do you have your results and don’t know what to do with them? Pat Burrow and Teri Mortola will show you how to review the matches from your recent tests and create more branches on the family tree. They show you how to determine how close a relative your match is and what to do with that information. There will be tips on how to connect with those relatives and stories about what you might find with your own ancestors. Once you have learned how to approach the information provided, you will have an opportunity to do some hands‐on, in your own account, with assistance from knowledgeable volunteers. Your results, your information, and your laptop computer or tablet.

REQUIREMENTS: Must have taken the Ancestry DNA test and received results. If you plan on attending the hands‐on part of the class (last hour), must bring your laptop or tablet.

Did you do that DNA test? Do you have your results and don’t know what to do with them? Pat Burrow and Teri Mortola will show you how to review the matches from your recent tests and create more branches on the family tree. They show you how to determine how close a relative your match is and what to do with that information. There will be tips on how to connect with those relatives and stories about what you might find with your own ancestors. Once you have learned how to approach the information provided, you will have an opportunity to do some hands‐on, in your own account, with assistance from knowledgeable volunteers. Your results, your information, and your laptop computer or tablet.

REQUIREMENTS: Must have taken the FamilyTree DNA or 23&Me DNA test and received results. If you plan on attending the hands‐on part of the class (last hour), must bring your laptop or tablet.

You may have rumors in your family that an aunt was a lesbian or an uncle was bisexual. Perhaps you identify as LGBT and want to know whether any of the relatives who came before you were also. This is valid family history research, but ethical concerns about the past and the present must be considered, and understanding gay history is critical to finding and understanding information. Janice M. Sellers has been researching her family history for almost 45 years. She is now a professional genealogist specializing in Jewish, black, dual citizenship, and newspaper research. She serves on the boards of two genealogical societies and edits a genealogy journal. Her web site is ancestraldiscoveries.com.

What is documentation? This class will explain what a “source” is and how to document it. We will also explore the organization of your genealogy materials. View how seasoned genealogists organize their materials. We will also review some of the different genealogy reports to help you analyze your findings. Looking for a Genealogy Program for your computer? You will learn what to look for when choosing a computer program.

Learn the basics of starting your genealogy research. This class will help you discover what documents you have, what documents you need, and what to do with the information you found. You will learn what is available from vital records, as well as other kinds of records. We will also explain the Family Groups Sheets and Pedigree Charts and show you how to get started in filling them out. We will also give you an introduction into sourcing your information. Taught by Pam Fujii and Dave McCready of the Santa Clara County Historical and Genealogical Society.