 The educational
program is the heart of a Toastmasters Club. It is the means through
which you develop your communication and leadership skills and achieve
your goal of becoming a better communicator.
The
Toastmasters educational program is divided into two tracks -- a
communication track and a leadership track. The communication track is
the major part of the system -- almost all new members join
Toastmasters for the benefits this track offers. Some become involved
in the leadership track. The tracks are not mutually exclusive. You may
participate in both tracks at the same time if you wish.
Communication Track
The core of the communication track is the Communication and Leadership Program
manual (also called the "basic manual"), which contains 10 speech
projects. Every new member is sent a basic manual within 48 hours after
his/her application for Membership (Form 400) is received at World
Headquarters. (Included in the material sent with the basic manual are
three other manuals: Your Speaking Voice, Effective Speech Evaluation, and Gestures: Your Body Speaks.)
The Competent Communicator Award
The basic manual helps develop your speaking skills one step at a time.
Every project builds upon what you have learned in the preceding
project. As you complete the projects you'll learn the importance of
sincerity in speaking, how to effectively organize a presentation, how
to use body language and voice to convey your message, word choice and
props, persuasive speaking, and how to inspire others.
Your
first goal as a member is to complete this manual. When you do, you are
eligible for Competent Communicator (CC) recognition. When you finish
all 10 projects, complete the CC application, have the Vice President Education sign it, and send it to
World Headquarters. You'll receive a CC certificate and, if this is
your first CC award, two Advanced Communication and Leadership Program
manuals free of charge. If you wish, World Headquarters will send your
employer a letter about your accomplishment.
Advanced Program
After receiving CC recognition you can enter the Advanced
Communication and Leadership Program, where you can refine and enhance
your basic skills. This program consists of 15 manuals, each containing
five speech projects. Many of the manuals are career-oriented; several
are not. You choose the manuals you want to complete and the skills you
want to learn.
The manuals are:
The Entertaining Speaker (226-A)
Speaking to Inform (226-B)
Public Relations (226-C)
The Discussion Leader (226-D)
Specialty Speeches (226-E)
Speeches by Management (226-F)
The Professional Speaker (226-G)
Technical Presentations (226-H)
Persuasive Speaking (226-I)
Communicating on Television (226-J)
Storytelling (226-K)
Interpretive Reading (226-L)
Interpersonal Communication (226-M)
Special Occasion Speeches (226-N)
Humorously Speaking (226-O)
When you work in the advanced manuals you are eligible for several awards:
Advanced Communicator Bronze (ACB) Award
To be eligible for this award, you must have:
Advanced Communicator Silver (ACS) Award
To be eligible for this award, you must have:
Advanced Communicator Gold (ACG) Award
To be eligible for this award, members must have:
- Achieved new Advanced Communicator Silver, Advanced Toastmaster Silver award, or achieved Able Toastmaster Bronze award
- Completed two additional advanced manuals (may not be those completed for previous awards)
- Conducted
a Success/Leadership Program, Success/Communication Program
(Success/Leadership or Success/Communication programs may not be those
completed for Able Toastmaster Bronze award) or a Youth Leadership
Program
- Coached a new member with the first three speech projects
By
the time you earn the Advanced Communicator Gold award, you will have
completed six of the available Advanced Communication and Leadership
Program manuals and will have learned many valuable advanced speaking
skills.
To
apply for any of the Advanced Communication awards, complete the
appropriate section of the Advanced Communicator Award application. This application also is in the back of each
advanced manual and is available from World Headquarters.
You'll receive a certificate and, if you wish, World Headquarters will send a letter to your employer about your achievement.
Accredited Speaker Program
Toastmasters International has a special program which recognizes those
members who have professional-level speaking skills. The Accredited
Speaker Program is not for everyone. Only a handful of Toastmasters
have what it takes to become Accredited Speakers. Less than 25 percent
of those who apply for the program become Accredited Speakers.
The
program is conducted annually. To qualify as an Accredited Speaker, an
applicant must be a current member of a Toastmasters Club. He or she
also must be an Able Toastmaster or Advanced Toastmaster Bronze and
have had a minimum of 25 speaking engagements to non-Toastmasters
audiences within three years of application date. Five copies of
letters of acknowledgment or appreciation from any of the 25
engagements must be provided as documentary evidence of successful
presentations. In addition, applicants must pass a rigorous two-stage
judging process.
If
you or someone in your Club has professional-level speaking skills,
call or write World Headquarters for the Accredited Speaker Program
brochure and application. Deadline each year for entries is November 1.
Leadership Track
As mentioned earlier, the Toastmasters educational program also
includes a leadership track, where you acquire and practice the skills
necessary to be an effective leader. You can serve as a Club leader,
developing skills in planning, training, motivating, and managing. You
even can become a District leader, where these skills are further
enhanced. You also can participate in the "High Performance Leadership"
program (Catalog No. 262), which requires you to conduct a project of
your choice in which you serve as a leader. The program provides study
material and activities to complete.
Following are the awards members may earn in the leadership track and the requirements for each.
Competent Leader (CL)
Complete the Competent Leader Manual which consists of 10 projects with 2-3 assignments each.
Advanced Leader Bronze Award
To be eligible for this award, you must have:
- Achieved Competent Toastmaster award
- Served
at least six months (June 1 through December 31, or January 1 through
June 30) as a Club officer (President, Vice President Education, Vice
President Membership, Vice President Public Relations, Secretary,
Treasurer, or Sergeant at Arms) and participated in the preparation of
a Club Success Plan while serving in this office
- While a Club officer, participated in a District-sponsored Club officer training program
- Conducted
any two programs from The Successful Club Series and/or The Leadership
Excellence Series (may not be those completed for any previous award)
Advanced Leader Silver (ALS) Award
To be eligible for this award, you must have:
- Achieved Competent Leader award
- Served
a complete term as a District officer (District Governor, Lieutenant
Governor, Public Relations Officer, Secretary, Treasurer, Division
Governor, or Area Governor)
- Completed the High Performance Leadership program
- Served successfully as a Club Sponsor, Mentor, or Coach
To
apply for any of the leadership awards, complete the appropriate
section of the Leadership/Distinguished Toastmaster Awards application
(Catalog No. 1209-A). Applications also are available from World
Headquarters and are on this website.
You'll receive a certificate and, if you wish, World Headquarters will send a letter to your employer about your achievement.
Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM) Award
The
Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM) award is the highest award our
organization bestows and it recognizes both communication and
leadership skills. To be eligible for the DTM award, a member must
have:
- Achieved Advanced Toastmaster Gold award
- Achieved Advanced Leader award
To
apply for the DTM award, complete the appropriate section of the
Leadership/Distinguished Toastmaster Awards application (Catalog No.
1209-A). Applications also are available from World Headquarters.
You'll receive a special plaque and, if you wish, World Headquarters will send a letter to your employer about your achievement.
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