If you are unable to attend RootsTech 2019 in Salt Lake City, you have two remote viewing options. Some of the show’s sessions will be streamed live for free at RootsTech.org (see the broadcast schedule below)! If you want more, you can purchase a Virtual Pass to view additional sessions from the conference. RootsTech 2019 in Salt Lake City runs February 27 to March 2, 2019. Go to RootsTech.org to view the entire schedule of events. (Easily share or find this announcement online in the FamilySearch Newsroom).
The RootsTech daily general sessions will be broadcast live and for free. They include keynote addresses by Steve Rockwood, CEO of FamilySearch International, Patricia Heaton, popular actress from Everybody Loves Raymond and The Middle, Saroo Brierley, whose incredible family reunification story which inspired the movie, Lion, and Jake Shimabukuro, world renowned ukulele master.
In addition to the select free classes broadcasted, RootsTech is offering a Virtual Pass, which provides access to 18 online recorded sessions from the conference. You can watch playbacks from your laptop, tablet, or smartphone device whenever and however you’d like—for just $129. Go to Virtual Pass for more information.
If you’re social media savvy, you can follow or join real-time conversations happening on social media using #NotAtRootsTech.
| Day | Time (MST) | Class Title | Class Description | Speaker or Speakers |
| Wednesday, February 27, 2019 | 9:30 a.m. | What’s New at FamilySearch? | Explore the latest features and capabilities released on FamilySearch. See the future of FamilySearch. | Ron Tanner of FamilySearch |
| 11:00 a.m. | Hear Them Sing! Social History and Family Narrative | Discover how 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. | Rebecca Whitman | |
| 1:30 p.m. | Uncovering Family Stories with British and Irish Historic Newspapers (Sponsored by Findmypast) | Search the numerous digitized collections of millions of pages of local and national historic newspapers, covering 300 years of history from every county in Britain and Ireland. | Myko Clelland | |
| 3:00 p.m. | Connecting Your DNA Matches | Find out to go through your DNA match list and how to use the Shared Matches tool. Learn how to create and employ a number of tools to boost your confidence in your genetic genealogy skills. | Diahan Southard | |
| 4:30 p.m. | Wednesday General Session and Opening Event | Explore the connections that come through genealogy. Entertainment will be provided by the world-renowned a cappella group The Edge Effect. | Steve Rockwood, CEO of FamilySearch International | |
| Thursday, Feb 28, 2019 | 8:30 a.m. | Making the Leap—Becoming a Professional Genealogist (Power Hour) | 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. | Luana Darby, Valerie Elkins, and Anne Teerlink |
| 9:30 a.m. | Finally! German Church Records and How to Use Them on FamilySearch | 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. | Trish Melander | |
| 11:00 a.m. | Thursday General Session | 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 Heaton | |
| 1:30 p.m. | What You Don’t Know about Ancestry (Sponsored by Ancestry) | Preview Ancestry’s cool new tools that are geared to improve and accelerate your family history research. | Crista Cowan | |
| 3:00 p.m. | “Jumping the Broom,” Oil, Inheritance, and African American Marriage in the South | Explore the tradition of jumping the broom, the informal marriage ceremony for the enslaved. | Kenyatta Berry | |
| 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. Explore false assumptions, revisiting those mistakes, and the family history discoveries that may await. | Kris Rzepczynski | |
| Friday, March 1, 2019 | 8:00 a.m. | Why and How to Put Yourself into Your Family History (Power Hour) | Explore why putting yourself into your family history is so important . Learn how you can include yourself without getting overwhelmed. | Curt Witcher, Amy Johnson Crow, Scott Fisher, |
| 9:30 a.m. | Essential Considerations for DNA Evidence | Learn how to use DNA evidence correctly and correlated with documentary evidence and examine some of the considerations, limitations, and pitfalls we should consider when using DNA evidence. | Blaine Bettinger | |
| 11:00 a.m. | Friday General Session | 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. | Saroo Brierley | |
| 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. | Mike Mansfield | |
| 3:00 p.m. | Discover Your Japanese Ancestors | 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. | Valerie Elkins | |
| 4:30 p.m. | he Research Road Map: Your Path to Success | 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. | Amy Johnson Crow | |
| Saturday, March 2, 2019 | 8:00 a.m. | Trace the Story of Immigrant Ancestors in 3 Steps (Power Hour) | Explore 3 key steps to unlocking the story of your immigrant ancestors with the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society. | Susan Miller, D. Joshua Taylor, and Frederick Wertz |
| 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, Learn how DNA Painter can be used for a variety of activities including chromosome mapping. | Jonny Perl | |
| 11:00 a.m. | Saturday General Session | 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. | Jake Shimabukuro | |
| 1:30 p.m. | Leading with Science at 23andMe (Sponsored by 23andMe) | Walk through how research works at 23andMe and how you can contribute to scientific discoveries. | Sarah Lashkey | |
| 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. Explore these symbols and statues that tell stories. | Joy Neighbors |
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