The popularity of DNA tests like Ancestry and 23andMe is ever-expanding, but how many of you really understand what can be learned from the data revealed—beyond what's seen in tik tok + youtube reveals of people saying "I'm 10% Irish" or "6% Korean" or "36% Nigerian" and so on?

Many people take these tests for fun, check initial results, but then never look at them again, not realizing that (for example) every single week your pool of DNA matched relatives increases, as more and more around the world take them. (I have 7000+ thus far!!) Knowing, for example, not only who your "close" relatives are, but even those like distant 7th or 8th cousins, can provide key information about your ancestors' origins and journeys.

For this session, I'll teach you some fundamentals about how to approach your own research—what databases are available—for free and by subscription—what DNA information can be helpful in your quest and how to interpret it, how to construct a genealogical tree, etc. I can also help give historical, geographic context to some perhaps perplexing components in your test results regarding ethnicity.

I'm a self-taught genetic genealogist, which is to say, an experienced researcher who's learned how to interpret ancestral clues encoded in DNA, combined with the wealth of information now digitized and accessible online via databases and archival records—to first learn much about my own lineage—such as being able to trace nearly 100 lines of descent originating in 4 continents, going back (with some) over 1000 years. Now I want to help others to do the same!

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Please Note: while all are welcome to join, you'll get the most immediate benefit and new knowledge about your own heritage if you come prepared with access (laptop or phone) to the accounts for any DNA tests you've ALREADY taken. If you were to take one just now, you would not get results for that before the end of ITP Camp.

Also Important: you would NOT need to share any information, genetic or otherwise, that you may prefer to keep private. I would, however, be glad for some participant volunteers I would help, as examples, for those open to sharing. It's completely up to you, of course; whatever you feel comfortable with!