Educational Program

The Educational Program helps you to grow

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Toastmasters provides a self-paced, focused speaking program with a supportive, experienced group of people to assist you. This mutual support will help you become more effective in several skills, including formal public presentations, individual communications, impromptu speaking situations, managing and participating in meetings, and leading and managing people.

You will reach this through the heart of every Toastmasters club, the Educational Program. The Toastmasters Educational Program is divided into two tracks – a Communication Track and a Leadership Track. Members are encouraged to participate in both tracks. The two tracks are not mutually exclusive and you can work in both at the same time. Both also provide for specific accomplishments as seen in the Award Progression. In addition to these tracks there are several opportunities for Moving Along.

Practice your public speaking skills through the communication track

Communication Track

Beginning with projects from the Competent Communications “basic” manual, this track is dedicated to improving members speaking and listening skills.

Competent Communication Manual
New members receive a membership kit containing the Competent Communication manual, often called the “Basic Manual”, and four other manuals: Competent Leadership, Your Speaking Voice, Effective Speech Evaluation, and Gestures: Your Body Speaks.
The Competent Communication manual is designed to give new members 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.
Completion of the Competent Communication manual fulfills the requirement for the Competent Communicator or Competent Toastmaster award.

Advanced Communication Manuals
Each of the Advanced Communication Manuals challenges 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.
Completion of two Advanced Communication manuals fulfills one of the requirements for each of the Advanced Communicator or Advanced Toastmaster awards.

The Better Speaker Series
The Better Speaker Series is a set of educational speeches on speaking-related topics. This program is usually presented during a club meeting. Included in the program are a script outlining the workshop, a set of overhead transparencies and a PowerPoint presentation on CD.
Presentation of a Better Speaker Series module can help fulfill one of the requirements for Advanced Communicator Silver or Advanced Toastmaster Silver award.

Success / Communication Program
The Success / Communication Program is comprised of several modular programs designed to offer a higher, more comprehensive level of training for developing and improving communication skills. Each program is conducted as a workshop of one or more sessions. Every program includes a script and instructions for presenting the program.
Presentation of a Success/Communication Series program can fulfill one of the requirements for Advanced Communicator Gold or Advanced Toastmaster Gold award.

Successful Club Series
The Successful Club Series is a set of educational speeches focused on improving the quality of club meetings, with tips on attracting and maintaining members.

Practice your leadership skills through the leadership track

Leadership Track

Beginning with projects from the Competent Leadership manual, this track focuses on developing a member’s leadership skills through a variety of Club and District activities.

Competent Leadership Manual
The Competent Leadership manual focuses on different leadership skills through ten projects, each providing the member background information and an assignment that requires serving in one or more specified meeting or club roles in which the aspects of that skill can be practiced.

The Advanced Leadership Manuals

Each of the Advanced Leadership manuals challenges members to further improve their leadership skills. Members learn and develop leadership skills as they deliver presentations in a variety of topics:

Leadership Excellence Series
The Leadership Excellence Series is a set of programs that teach members the skills that they will need to be successful leaders inside and outside of Toastmasters.

Success/Leadership Program
The Success/Leadership Program is a program is comprised of several modules designed to offer a higher, more comprehensive level of training for developing stronger leadership skills. In addition to the presentation materials, each module also provides ample opportunity for participants to practice what they have learned.

High Performance Leadership Program
The High Performance Leadership Program is a five-project program which offers instruction and practice in such vital leadership skills and activities as developing a mission and vision, goal-setting and planning, identifying values and building a team.

Successful Club Series
The Successful Club Series is a set of educational speeches focused on improving the quality of club meetings, with tips on attracting and maintaining members.

Further Leadership Opportunities

Toastmasters members may take advantage of many opportunites to strengthen their leadership skills. Many members take on leadership roles within the organization, and others prefer to conduct specialized workshops to help their fellow members or their community. Some of the more common activities are listed here:

Get started with the Toastmasters Educational Program

Moving Along

Speech Contests
Each year, thousands of Toastmasters compete in the Humorous, Evaluation, Tall Tales, Table Topics and International speech contests. A well-planned contest with eager, informed contestants can be one of your club’s most popular events!

Club Officer Roles
Every Toastmasters club provides its members with the opportunity to take on one of seven leadership roles to aid in the governance of the club. On these pages, you’ll find a brief description of each club officer role, along with current electronic versions of all seven club officer manuals.

International Convention
If you haven’t yet attended a Toastmasters International Convention, make this the year you discover what everyone has been talking about. Improve your skills through seminars, learn from world-class speakers and have fun with fellow Toastmasters from all over the world.

Supplemental Programs
If you have fallen in love with public speaking to the extent that you’d like to make it your profession, Toastmasters offers some extra help along that path: the Accredited Speaker program, and district-level Speakers Bureaus.

Satellite Programs
If you’re interested in reaching out to those who might not qualify for regular Toastmasters membership, these satellite programs may be what you’re seeking.

Help with the Club Success Plan
The Club Success Plan helps the club to become a President’s Distinguished Club. Help to implement and execute the Club Success Plan to support your club and fulfill one requirement more to become an Advanced Leader Bronze.

Mentor a Member
Once you’ve gained some experience in Toastmasters, why not help a new member take advantage of all that the organization has to offer?

Mentor a Club
Looking for a new challenge? Consider mentoring a new club to help give them a solid start.

Award Progression

Award progression within the educational system

Communication Track


Leadership Track

Competent Communicator (CC)

Competent Leader (CL)


Advanced Communicator Bronze (ACB)


Advanced Leader Bronze (ALB)


Advanced Communicator Silver (ACS)


Advanced Leader Silver (ALS)


Advanced Communicator Gold (ACG)

Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM)
Achieved Advanced Communicator Gold (ACG) and Advanced Leader Silver (ALS)

Last updated on August 27, 2011