The Toastmasters Education Program has two aims: 1) to help
members become better communicators, and 2) to teach them to be
better leaders.
Each member is responsible for setting and achieving his or her own
individual goals. The program is divided into two tracks. The chart
below summarizes the milestones on the tracks to achieving the rank
of "Distinguished Toastmaster."
The Communication Track
(highlighted in YELLOW below) is
dedicated to improving speaking and listening skills. Toastmasters
complete various speech projects at each education level, and obtain
feedback from fellow club members.
The
Competent Communication Manual is
designed to give a strong start in developing a core set of
skills for public speaking. Each of the ten projects in this
basic manual focuses on a certain aspect of speech making --
from organization to delivery. Every project builds upon what
you have learned in the preceding project. As you complete these
projects, you'll learn the importance of the many components
that go into compiling a great speech.
The
Advanced Manuals
challenge members to further improve their skills in a specific
area of public speaking. Some manuals focus on "real life"
situations such as public relations and technical briefings,
while others help develop more widely applicable skills such as
humor and storytelling. Click here for the
TI Store List of ALL Manuals
The
Leadership Track focuses on development of leadership
skills through a variety of club activities. Speech projects along
this track are focused primarily on leadership skills.
The Toastmasters International
Educational Program
|
COMMUNICATION TRACK
|
|
|
Distinguished Toastmaster ( DTM )
- Achieve
Advanced Communicator Gold Award (or ATM-Gold)
- Achieve
Advanced Leader Silver Award (or AL)
|
Advanced Communicator Gold ( ACG )
- Achieve
Advanced Communicator Silver Award (or ATM-S)
- Complete
2 additional advanced manuals
- Conduct a
Success/Leadership program, Success/Communication program, or a
Youth
Leadership program
- Coach a
new member with the first three speeches
|
Advanced Leader Silver ( ALS )
-
Achieve Advanced Leader Bronze (or "old" CL award)
-
Serve a complete term as a district officer
-
Complete the High Performance Leadership Program
-
Serve successfully as a club sponsor, mentor, or coach
|
Advanced Communicator Silver ( ACS )
|
Advanced Leader Bronze ( ALB )
-
Achieve Competent Leader Award
-
Achieve Competent Communicator Award (or CTM)
-
Serve at least six months as a club officer and participate in
the preparation of a Club Success Plan while in this office
-
Conduct two programs from the
Successful Club Series
and/or the Leadership Excellence Series
|
Advanced Communicator Bronze ( ACB )
- Achieve
Competent Communicator Award (or CTM)
- Complete
two Advanced Communication Program manuals
|
Competent Communicator ( CC )
|
Competent Leader ( CL )
-
Complete the
Competent Leadership Manual
|
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The
Competent Communication Manual
The
Competent Communication manual (also
called the "basic manual") helps you to develop the basic skills
that you need to prepare and present an effective speech.
The manual is organized into ten separate projects, each with its
own individual focus or objective. An extremely effective tool in
developing your speaking skills, the Competent
Communication manual never tells you exactly what to do
or what to speak about, but rather it provides a set of guidelines
for you to think about as you prepare your speech.
As an essential part of the Toastmasters program, another
Toastmaster will evaluate each speech that you give, providing
positive feedback and suggestions for improvement, as necessary.
After completing the
Competent Communication
manual, you earn Competent Communicator (CC) recognition and are
able to focus your efforts on the projects in the advanced speech
and leadership manuals of the Toastmasters program.
Your club's Vice President Education (or other Club officer if a VPE
is the one earning the award) can submit an application for a CTM or
other award online at the
Toastmasters International website.
The chart below lists the ten projects in the
Competent
Communication manual.
|
|
Project |
Time |
Objective |
|
1 |
The Ice
Breaker |
4 - 6 |
Self-introduction to your club |
|
2 |
Organize Your
Speech |
5 - 7 |
Organization/construction |
|
3 |
Get
to the Point prior to Oct 03, was "Speak with Sincerity" |
5 - 7 |
Achievement
of a purpose |
|
4 |
How
to Say It prior to Oct 03, was "Work with Words" |
5 - 7 |
Precision in
word choice |
|
5 |
Your
Body Speaks prior to Oct 03, was "Show What You Mean" |
5 - 7 |
Gestures and
body movements |
|
Evaluate Your
Progress - Part 1 |
|
6 |
Vocal Variety |
5 - 7 |
Voice volume,
pitch, rate, quality |
|
7 |
Research Your Topic prior to Oct 03, was "Apply Your
Skills" |
5 - 7 |
Effective use
of research |
|
8 |
Get
Comfortable with Visual Aids prior to Oct 03, was "Add Impact
to Your Speech" |
5 - 7 |
Effective use
of visual aids |
|
9 |
Persuade with Power |
5 - 7 |
Persuasion |
|
10 |
Inspire Your Audience |
8 - 10 |
Inspiration |
|
Evaluate Your
Progress - Part 2 |
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Advanced Speech Manuals
The
Advanced Communication Manuals train you for
different speaking situations that Toastmasters can encounter
outside the club environment. There are currently 15 Advanced
Communication manuals, and each manual includes five speech
projects. Within each of these advanced manuals, the individual
projects all focus on a single, specific theme to help Toastmasters
improve their speaking skills in that particular area.
Please see below for a list of the current Advanced Manuals, or
click here to download a list containing the names
and
descriptions of the manuals and individual projects.