GRIP FAQs

The Virtual format is an interactive classroom using Zoom for class and Dropbox for material distribution. This format allows students and faculty to interact with one another throughout the course. Attendees can see, speak, hear, and share screens with each other and the faculty members.

GRIP Virtual Week will be 22 – 27 June 2025

The welcome and orientation program is set for Sunday, 22 June 2025 – at 4 PM PT/7 PM ET

Meet your Coordinator and faculty members, your Grip Guide, hear about the schedule for the week, and any news. Stick around for some fun and door prizes opportunities for those who attend.

Schedule will be posted once finalized – Stay tuned. 

*Optional homework review and enhancement sessions are not offered in every course. Please see the specific course schedule for details.

**Optional evening sessions will be held on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 7:00 PM EST. These include speakers from the genealogical industry and a variety of topics to enhance your educational week.

updated: 05 Aug 2024 

• We recommend a laptop or desktop computer for the best functionality and participation in the course. Mobile devices (tablets and phones) are acceptable but do not allow the maximum participation and capabilities of the programs.
• An internet connection – broadband wired or wireless (3g or 4G/LTE minimum)
• Speakers and a microphone – these can be built into your computer system or external as a USB plug-in or wireless Bluetooth. (Microphone is required for classroom participation)
• A webcam so you can turn on your camera and participate in class discussions.
• Zoom desktop client or Mobile app.

We will provide instructions and basic training to the attendees on how to use the Zoom application and how to download materials such as the syllabus from the Dropbox. This training will be scheduled about two weeks prior to the start of the course.

As a registered attendee, you will receive Zoom links and special log-in instructions for the entire week, one week before the course begins. Within your Dropbox provided one week before the account, you will receive a “Link Sheet” with all links necessary for your week.

You will log in to Zoom using the link each day. The tech host will admit registered students, so be sure your name in Zoom matches the name you registered with.

YES! We will have each session available in a recorded view-only version. These recordings will be posted the day after the class session and will be available for 14 days after the end of the course. The recordings will be view only, not downloadable, and are for registered attendees only.

The in-person courses will be held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The sessions will be held in a “traditional classroom” setting and will not be recorded.

GRIP In Person Week will be 13 – 18 July 2025. 

Sunday, 13 July 2025 – Check-in for all registered students and faculty. Welcome program and dinner.

Schedule times will be provided at a later date once confirmed. 

*Optional homework review and enhancement sessions are not offered in every course. Please see the specific course schedule for details.

Updated: 05 August 2024

• Students will want access to the syllabus while they are in class. This can be on a laptop or tablet. Optionally, students may print the syllabus for use in class. GRIP will provide a digital copy of the course materials to all students with a license to print one copy for use in class. GRIP does not provide printed course materials.
• Participants may want a laptop or tablet to participate in the course.
• The University has Wi-Fi connections, but students can bring a hotspot in case of bandwidth.
• Dropbox app or account – You do not have to pay for an account.

Updated: 05 Aug 2024

We will provide basic instructions to the attendees on how to view, download, and work in Dropbox throughout the course. This information will be provided as part of the course materials.

Updated: 05 Aug 2024

If you are flying in, the closest airport is Pittsburgh International Airport https://flypittsburgh.com/

More details to come soon.

Updated: 05 Aug 2024

Students have the option to stay in the dorm rooms at a reasonable rate for all attendees and faculty. Pricing will be provided at registration. Both private and shared rooms are available.

Note: Faculty & Students residing in the dorms during the week must clean up and check out of their dorm room no later than 1:00 PM on Friday.

There are a few local hotels in the area as well. Make your reservations early.

updated: 10 April 2024

Dorm Rooms may be reserved and paid for at the time of registration.

• Further details to come. Please stay tuned.

All rooms are equipped with air conditioning, and individual controls for heating and cooling are provided within each room.

updated: 05 Aug 2024 

All students and faculty are invited to the Welcome dinner on Sunday night, hosted by GRIP and NGS at no charge. (We will email you for RSVP’s) – So plan your travel accordingly.

Students staying in the dorm will also receive a meal package that includes breakfast, lunch, and dinner from Monday to Friday. (Friday includes breakfast and lunch only)

If you are not staying on campus, you have two options for obtaining meals on campus. You can buy a prepaid lunch-only package through GRIP ($69.00 during registration) or purchase individual meals using a credit card directly at the campus cafeteria.

• Breakfast: 7:30 AM – 9:00 AM   Fee: $11.00
• Lunch: Noon – 1:30 PM                Fee: $14.00
• Dinner: 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM         Fee: $16.00

Updated: 10 April 2024

A selection of gluten- and dairy-free items are provided at the daily meals in the cafeteria.

Kosher meals are not provided.

Yes, some courses will have prerequisites. If a course has prerequisites this will be listed on the course detail page for each course.

In the course detail pages your course may list a prerequisite, requirement, or recommendation for the course. These parameters are set by the Course Coordinators and faculty members to assure you the greatest success in the course.

• A prerequisite is a course, education, or experience that should be completed before enrolling in the course.
• A requirement is a software, books, research papers, or details from your personal experience that you will need to complete class work.
• A recommendation is a suggestion from your faculty to enhance your experience in the course: possible experience, reading, or materials to obtain prior to class.

A link to the Dropbox folder containing your syllabus and other materials will be provided to you via email one week prior to the start of your course.

You may not share the syllabus as they are protected by copyright. Your enrollment in the course allows you to print one copy of the syllabus for personal use only.

No; access to recordings is limited to streaming only, due to copyright and contract restrictions. Recordings are only completed for the virtual sessions.

Yes! Upon successful completion of the course.

Registration for the 2025 courses will be announced soon!

• Virtual course registration will begin at 1 PM Eastern Standard Time
• In-person course registration will begin at 3 PM Eastern Standard Time

“priority registration”: if you received a prize certificate at any of our events during 2024, you will be contacted via email at least one week before open registration with details.

updated: 05 Aug 2024

Registration for 2025 Will be announced soon!

To make your experience as easy as possible – we encourage you to sign in or create a free account with the National Genealogical Society before registration day at https://www.ngsgenealogy.org/

If you already have an NGS account, test your account beforehand to ensure it is current with password, contact information, and details.

If you do not have an NGS account, create one using the below steps.

In creating or updating your account, you will be able to provide important personal information for communications and details to help us ensure you stay in the loop on all things NGS and GRIP. We will use this information to communicate with you about your registration, waitlist, or anything else ordered through the system.

After creating your account, you will be ready for registration for your selected course.

Step 1.  Go to the website: https://www.ngsgenealogy.org/

Step 2: Select “Login” from the top of the page.

Step 3: Sign into your account using your NGS credentials or Create a free account by clicking the link in the image.

Step 4: Go to the GRIP website for course listings at https://grip.ngsgenealogy.org/

Step 5: At the time registration opens, a registration button will appear on the course pages (*Note: if you do not see the registration button, please refresh your page or clear your cache and try again)

You will also see the registration button on the course-specific pages –

Step 6: Click the registration button. This will redirect you to the “menu” on your NGS account page – allowing you to move through the steps to register for your course and any add-ons you wish.

Step 7: Complete your registration selection; payment will be requested at the time of reservation. All prices should reflect any discount applied. There is no need for “codes”.

Should you have any questions, please reach out to Grip@ngsgenealogy.org

updated 15 Feb 2024

You will select your dorm preference when registering.

After registration, we will contact all individuals who have opted for the shared dorm package to verify whether they have selected a roommate. Those who have not chosen a roommate will be assigned one randomly at a later date.

Updated: 05 aug 2024

Tuition for the GRIP Genealogy Institute in 2024 is $585.  NGS Members receive a discount rate of $550.

• The NGS member discount is for tuition only.
• NGS members automatically receive the tuition discount.
• Please click here to join or renew your membership with the National Genealogical Society.

If you have any questions about your NGS membership, please contact the NGS office at 703-525-0050.

If a course is full, you may join the waiting list. You will be notified if space becomes available in the course.

If you find it necessary to cancel your registration in a course, please reach out to grip@ngsgenealogy.org

The NGS Customer Service team will review and process your request within three business days. If the cancellation is made before the deadline, a refund, less a $100 administrative fee, will be provided. You will be credited using the payment method used during registration.

Cancellation Deadlines:

GRIP Virtual Week 2025 – Deadline May 02, 2025, 11:59 PM EST

GRIP In Person Week 2025 – Deadline May 30, 2025, 11:59 PM EST

Cancellation of a course on the same day your registration was completed does not incur any administrative fees.

YES! NGS offers the Donn Devine Scholarship, awarded to one applicant each year. See details here

There are other scholarships available in the genealogical community that may be used at the institute of your choice. Due dates vary, please review the provided websites for details.

American Society of Genealogists Scholar Award

Board for Certification of Genealogists® Sluby Scholarship for African American Students

At this time Member discounts are for individual or household members of NGS, not organizations.

Each course runs for four and a half days, with eighteen 75-minute class sessions.

Some courses will include additional enhancement sessions for 30 minutes before or after the regular instruction that are optional to the attendees. These sessions are for homework review and additional topics as set by the faculty.

Some courses that are held in-person may include a repository/archive visit to enhance the experience and learning of the students.

Schedules can be viewed on specific course pages. Final specific schedules (including breaks and lunches) will be provided to weeks prior to course beginning via Dropbox.

Updated: 05 Aug 2024

Each year, complete course details will be posted no later than November for the following year. This will include session titles, schedules, instructors, prerequisites (if any), and recommendations or requirements for each course.

Updated: 05 Aug 2024

YES! We offer various clothing options, including shirts, sweaters, and sweatshirts, available in multiple sizes. Additionally, we have a small selection of other items for you to enjoy. Visit our online store to browse and make your selection. Your purchased items will be sent directly to your doorstep.

For those planning to wear our merchandise during the GRIP week, we recommend placing your order in advance to ensure timely delivery.

Please Note: all items are customized with the GRIP logo at the time of your order and are non-refundable.

CLICK HERE ⇒ for Link to GRIP STORE

Updated: 12 April 2024

NGS is inviting proposals for innovative and unique courses to be included in the GRIP Genealogy Institute (GRIP) curriculum. GRIP conducts two sessions annually, one virtually in June and the other in person in July  in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

We have a rolling proposal format available. If inspiration strikes, we want to hear about it! The deadlines are listed below if you are proposing for the upcoming education year.

• Deadline for Courses in 2026 – May 15, 2025.
• Deadline for Courses in 2027 – May 15, 2026.

We seek creative proposals on various topics such as advanced methodology, genealogical records, ethnic groups, geographic areas, DNA, writing, and more. These courses should aim to enhance students’ skills and knowledge through comprehensive learning experiences, catering to individuals across all skill levels, from beginner to advanced.

We encourage course proposals that offer unique perspectives or incorporate elements exclusive to the GRIP learning environment. We also encourage hands-on learning approaches or modules resembling workshop experiences, provided they can be completed using student laptops or within the classroom model.

Each course should consist of eighteen 75-minute class sessions. This includes four sessions daily (Monday – Thursday) and two sessions on Friday, including any labs and consultations. Additionally, 30-minute enhancement or homework sessions can be used each day.

Please access the detailed information and requirements for the call for proposals by downloading the following PDF document: (LINK COMING SOON)

Are you new to coordinating, or do you have questions about the process, content, or expectations? Gena Philibert-Ortega and Kristi L. Sexton, the co-managers of GRIP, are happy to help you! Please reach out to us with your questions! GRIP@ngsgenealogy.org

updated: 05 Aug 2024

Join us in shaping the future of our Institute! We thrive on the dedication and passion of volunteers like you, who help us reach our highest potential. Whether you prefer virtual or in-person opportunities, there’s a role suited just for you. Be a part of our vibrant community as we work together to make a difference. We eagerly anticipate welcoming you aboard!

If you are interested in joining the team, please apply here: GRIP Volunteer Form

(GRIP Guides for tech support are a separate application)

We are looking to fill various positions :

• Social Media and Marketing
• Communications
• Registration Committee
• Dorm Room Advisors (In-Person Only)
• On-Site Registration (In-Person Only)
• On-Site Hospitality (In-Person Only)
• Outreach

updated: 05  Aug 2024

Join us in shaping the future of our Institute! We thrive on the dedication and passion of volunteers like you, who help us achieve our highest potential. Our virtual week is an incredible experience, and we’re seeking seasoned “techies” to join our team. Below is a brief overview of the duties, responsibilities, and schedule. We can’t wait to welcome you aboard!

2025 Virtual Week Schedule:

• Welcome session: June 22, 2025, at 7 PM ET
• Class sessions (18 sessions): June 23 – 27, 2024, TBD (coming soon). Please sign on as a GRIP Guide 30 minutes prior to the beginning of each class.

Note: Times may vary depending on faculty homework sessions for students.

GRIP Guide Responsibilities:

• Starting Zoom for each weekly class session
• Managing the needs of faculty, including breakout rooms and polls
• Managing closed captioning and session recordings (excluding chat logs)
• Providing light tech assistance to faculty and students
• Making daily announcements (for GRIP and Faculty)
• Take attendance each day using the provided form
• Keeping GRIP leaders informed of any classroom, student, or faculty issues or concerns

Benefits of GRIP Guides:

• Tuition waiver for the course they are assisting with
• Training to become a GRIP Guide
• Assistance and support from GRIP’s Virtual Coordinator

The deadline for GRIP Guides has closed for the 2024 courses.

Save the dates for GRIP Virtual Week to be held 23-27 June 2025 via Zoom

Applications for the 2025 year will open in November 2024. Stay tuned!

added: 05 Aug 2024