Pathways

What is Pathways?

Pathways is the Toastmasters education system. It is designed to help you grow as a speaker and leader. You begin by logging onto Toastmasters International and completing an assessment. This assessment will give you a suggested Path for you to follow.

If you decide you want a different Path, you have thirty days to change your mind.

How is it designed?

There are ten Paths from which to choose. Each Path contains five levels. Each level contains a number of projects. An easy acronym to remember is P—L—P.

- Path
- Level
- Project

What does a project involve?

A project might be:

- A speech
- A number of speeches and an evaluation
- Completing a role as an evaluator, Table Topics Master or the meeting’s Toastmaster
- Creating a blog
- Creating a podcast
- Moderating a panel discussion

This is just a small sample. There are many electives from which to choose. You will also find that many of the electives are repeated across the Paths so you may encounter the same elective on a second Path if you don’t choose it the first time.

The links below (and branching off this tab) take you to each of the Paths. There are in-depth details about what each Path, level and project entails.

How long will it take me to complete a Path?

Each Path comprises of around twenty to twenty-five projects.

This might take around two years to complete a Path although Toastmasters is a self-paced program. It might take you longer. Alternatively, if you’re enthusiastic, you might be a member of more than one club and complete your Path in half that time.

What do I do after I complete my Path?

It depends on your own individual goals. Toastmasters is a big organisation with many opportunities. You may want to take on leadership roles in your own club or within your own Toastmasters District.

You may wish to work towards achieving Toastmasters Highest honour – the Distinguished Toastmaster Award. To receive this award, you need to:

- complete two Paths
- serve a term as a club officer
- serve a term as a district officer
- become a club mentor or club coach
- be a club sponsor, conduct a Speechcraft Course or Youth Leadership Program

What is in each Path?

Here are links that take you to a summary of each Path, Level and the Projects they contain:

These 11 paths are available to you:

Recognition and Awards under Pathways

In Pathways, you are recognized for every achievement and milestone you and your club reach. Whether you choose to explore one path or several, every step you take will be supported and celebrated along the way.

Discover all the awards and recognition available under Pathways at ACHIEVEMENT + AWARDS

Why stop at one path? Journey beyond being Proficient and receive the Distinguished Toastmaster award (DTM). This is the highest individual honour you can achieve in Pathways. Earn your DTM when you fulfil the following requirements:

- Complete two learning paths.
- Serve as a club officer for 12 months, participate in the preparation of a Club Success Plan, and participate in a district-sponsored club officer training program. (If your club has six-month terms for officers, you can fulfil this requirement by serving as a club officer twice, but you don’t have to do it in consecutive terms.)
- Serve a complete one-year term as a district officer.
- Serve successfully as a club mentor or coach.
- Serve successfully as a club sponsor or conduct a Speechcraft or Youth Leadership program.
- Complete the DTM project. (Members are required to create and implement a project of their own design, in which they demonstrate the skills and expertise they have gained.)
- * Please refer to the Distinguished Toastmaster Award Application for a complete list of requirements.