Pathways Explained
Pathways is the Toastmasters education system, flexible and interactive way to develop your skills as a speaker and leader.
Pathways provides the opportunity to build up to 300 unique competencies in six specialized learning paths. The skills are real-world and transferrable, with all content being available online.
You begin by logging onto Toastmasters International and completing a brief assessment, which provides you with a suggested Path to follow.
We have outlined some brief information regarding each Path below. For more comprehensive information, including how to complete the assessment and find the right path for you, please click on "Learn More".
Dynamic Leadership
This path helps you build your skills as a strategic leader. The projects on this path focus on understanding leadership and communication styles, the effect of conflict on a group and the skills needed to defuse and direct conflict. These projects also emphasize the development of strategies to facilitate change in an organization or group, interpersonal communication and public speaking. This path culminates in a project focused on applying your leadership skills.
Effective Coaching
This path helps you build your skills as a positive communicator and leader. The projects on this path focus on understanding and building consensus, contributing to the development of others by coaching and establishing strong public speaking skills. Each project emphasizes the importance of effective interpersonal communication. This path culminates in a “High Performance Leadership” project of your design.
Engaging Humour
This path is designed to help you build your skills as a humorous and engaging public speaker. The projects on this path focus on understanding your sense of humor and how that sense of humor translates to engaging audience members. The projects contribute to developing an understanding of how to effectively use humor in a speech, including challenging situations and impromptu speeches. This path culminates in an extended humorous speech that will allow you to apply what you learned.
Innovative Planning
This path helps you build your skills as a public speaker and leader. The projects on this path focus on developing a strong connection with audience members when you present, speech writing and speech delivery. The projects contribute to building an understanding of the steps to manage a project, as well as creating innovative solutions. This path culminates in a “High Performance Leadership” project of your design.
Presentation Mastery
This path helps you build your skills as an accomplished public speaker. You will work through projects that focus on learning how to gauge audience response and improve your connection with audience members. Each project contributes to developing an understanding of effective public speaking technique, including speech writing and speech delivery. This path culminates in an extended speech where you can apply what you’ve learned.
Dynamic Leadership
This path helps you build your skills as a strategic leader and negotiator. You will work through projects that focus on understanding leadership and communication styles, the effect of conflict on a group and the skills needed to defuse and direct conflict. Each project also emphasizes the development of strategies to facilitate change in an organization or group, interpersonal communication and public speaking. The Dynamic Leadership path culminates in a project focused on applying your leadership skills.
Engaging Humour
The Engaging Humor path is designed to help you build your skills as a humorous and engaging public speaker. The projects on this path focus on understanding your sense of humor and how that sense of humor translates to engaging audience members. The projects contribute to developing an understanding of how to effectively use humor in a speech, including challenging situations and impromptu speeches. This path culminates in an extended humorous speech that will allow you to apply what you learned.
Motivational Strategies
This path helps you build your skills as a powerful and effective communicator. You will work through projects that focus on how to build connections with others, understand the principles of motivation and successfully lead small groups to accomplish tasks. The Motivational Strategies path culminates in a comprehensive team-building project that brings all of your skills together—including public speaking.
Persuasive Influence
This path helps you build your skills as a persuasive communicator and leader. You will work through projects that focus on how to negotiate a positive outcome while building strong interpersonal communication and public speaking skills. Each project emphasizes the development of leadership skills for complex situations and how to create innovative solutions to solve challenges. The Persuasive Influence path culminates in a “High Performance Leadership” project of your design.
Visionary Communication
This path helps you build your skills as a strategic communicator and leader. You will work through projects that focus on developing your skills for sharing information with a group, planning communications and creating innovative solutions. Each project emphasizes speech writing and delivery. The Visionary Communication path culminates in the development and launch of a long-term personal or professional goal.