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For nearly a decade we have provided students and teachers and students with access to Ancestry® record collections and resources at no cost through AncestryClassroom™. Today we are proud to announce we are expanding the program to include access to “World Explorer,” the full global record collection available on Ancestry. 

 

The move follows the recent launch of AncestryClassroom™ in Australia and New Zealand and unlocks access to all global historical records on the Ancestry platform including more than 5 billion international records to better serve students from diverse backgrounds. In addition, teachers and students will continue to enjoy access to Fold3® to search more than 580 million records, and Newspapers.com™, with its more than 2 billion articles from thousands of newspaper archives.

 

Learn how to inspire your students through family history research

Our back-to-school season kicks off with a special Facebook Live event on Tuesday, Aug. 16, at 4 p.m. EDT, featuring professional genealogist Crista Cowan and Love Foy, Coordinator of English Language Arts & Reading at Half Hollow Hills Central School District in New York. The two will provide an overview of the resources available through AncestryClassroom™, including the new “Family History Starter Kit” that Foy helped develop with the Ancestry research team, and discuss ways in which teachers can engage students and build family history research into their curriculums. All K-12 teachers and educators are encouraged to attend.

 

 

These activities are part of Ancestry’s larger commitment to educating and empowering the next generation. This commitment is driven by an abiding belief that our ancestors’ stories matter. That these stories can help us understand ourselves and our communities, and that in them, we see ourselves more clearly, grow empathy, and build resilience.

 

Sign up for access to AncestryClassroom™ this fall at no cost

To date, we’ve made Ancestry resources available at no cost to more than seven million students through AncestryClassroom™ and are on track to achieve our goal of 10 million students by 2025. If you are a K-12 teacher, we invite you to join us on this journey. It takes less than five minutes to sign up and all materials, including classroom resources, historical records, and professional learning tools, are free.

 

 

What teachers are saying about AncestryClassroom™

“Family history projects for K12 students build powerful inquiry skills. The sources and documents found on Ancestry have allowed my students to make connections between their ancestors, historical places, and events in time. Their research journey has provided powerful insights into their own family and has allowed their Social Studies curriculum to come alive in relevant and exciting ways.” – Kristen Ziller, Library Media Specialist, Pine Hollow Middle School (Raleigh, N.C.)

 

“I believe teaching genealogy research skills to young students is critical to their development as a curious and conscientious student. AncestryClassroom™ resources provide excellent readings, lessons, and webinars to enhance genealogy or general history discussions in the classroom. Ancestry’s K-12 resources have helped me inspire my students for many years.” – Keira Murphy, St. Edward’s Teacher & JumpStart Genealogy Founder

 

“Key to our success is engaging youth with our shared heritage and we could not do this without our wonderful relationship with Ancestry. Without your support and expertise, students around the region, and soon the nation, would face greater challenges in their work as they attempt to research soldiers from their community who fought and died in the American Civil War. Indeed, I doubt they would become engaged at all. Thank you for helping our educational programs which bring history alive for all.” – Cathleen (Cate) Magennis Wyatt, The Journey Through Hallowed Ground