Becoming a Certified Trainer

A Certified Trainer delivers training in his or her local area, which can be a family history center, public library, genealogy society, ward or stake, etc. This may include giving presentations or classes on The Family History Guide as well as individual mentoring, depending on your available time and resources.

You may choose to qualify as a Presenter or as a Mentor, or both. A Presenter trains groups of people on The Family History Guide, while a Mentor focuses on training individuals, usually one at a time.

The Certified Trainer role is a volunteer position. Certified Trainers should be passionate about The Family History Guide and its benefits, use it effectively to create training strategies, and help carry out the Mission Statement.

Each Certified Trainer, whether Presenter or Mentor, is expected to

1. Have a solid understanding of navigating The Family History Guide website, include demonstrating Projects, Goals, Choices, Steps, and article/video links. Low-level knowledge of all the steps and links is not expected.
2. Be an accomplished and skilled family history presenter or mentor. If you are new to presenting or mentoring, you should spend at least several months building up those skills before certifying with The Family History Guide.
3. Keep up-to-date with the changes in The Family History Guide website. Major changes are announced via our blog site.
4. Set goals for increasing and improving training with The Family History Guide in your local area.

Additional Notes

• Do not charge fees to those you train, or organizations you help, either for materials or presentation time.
• There is no minimum hourly requirement for time spent. The important thing is your success. If you find that you're not able to put in the time necessary to serve effectively, please let us know so we can make other arrangements.
• Certified Trainers are not required to be members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. If you are a Certified Trainer and you have a calling as a Temple and Family History Consultant, remember that being a Certified Trainer is not a Church calling.

Certifying as a Presenter

1. Take and pass the Overview Certification test. You may do this as an open-book test, and you may re-take the test if needed.
2. Teach at least two Introduction classes on The Family History Guide to groups of 5 or more, lasting at least 45 minutes.
3. Send us an email that includes a screenshot of your test results. Also include the dates of the Introduction trainings and the approximate number of people in attendance for each.

When The Family History Guide Association verifies you have completed the certification steps, your name will be added to the Certified Trainers list on The Family History Guide website.

Joining the Facebook Group for Trainers

All Certified Trainers, as well as those who are considering becoming ones, are highly encouraged to join the Facebook Group for Trainers, Consultants, and Directors. That is where we post important tips and news for training with The Family History Guide.

1. Q: May I announce my Certification to others, or include it on resumes, flyers, business cards, etc.?
   A: Yes. For example,
   (your name)
   Certified Trainer - Presenter (or Certified Trainer, Mentor; or Certified Trainer, Presenter & Mentor)
   The Family History Guide
2. Q: How long does my certification last? A: 24 months. After that time, you will need to re-take the Overview Certification test to stay current.
3. Q: What topics may I teach from The Family History Guide?
   A: As a Presenter, you may teach any class from the Course Catalog that you feel qualified to teach, to groups of people. As a Mentor, you may teach any topic from The Family History Guide that you feel comfortable with, to individuals.
4. Q: I previously qualified as a Certified Trainer. Now that there are Presenters and Mentors, which am I?
   A: Your previous certification qualifies you as a Presenter. If you would like to also qualify as a Mentor, follow the steps outlined above.
5. Q: Can there be multiple Certified Trainers in a given city, stake, ward, etc.?
   A: Yes. In that case, the trainers should do their best to rotate presentation opportunities. Mentoring opportunities should also be considered.
6. Q: As a Certified Trainer, am I part of The Family History Guide Association?
   A: No, Certified Trainers act in a support role but are independent from The Family History Guide Association.
7. Q: What if I no longer want to be a Certified Trainer?
   A: Notify us by email, and we will remove your name from the Certified Trainers list on the web page.