Go With a Gavel Club
If you are looking for a long-term environment for those under 18 that is similar to a Toastmasters club with regular meetings, consider forming a youth Gavel Club. Gavel Clubs are for groups not eligible for regular Toastmasters membership and are hosted by an organization or regular Toastmasters club.
To learn more, go to the Toastmasters website. You can also contact the New Clubs team at World Headquarters at newclubs@toastmasters.org with any questions.
Interpersonal Communication
Interpersonal Communication is a community-based program, but unlike the YLP, it doesn’t need to be presented by Toastmasters members.
The program helps teenagers build stronger listening and communication skills while understanding their own communication style. Materials are designed to be used by teachers or other adults who mentor teens, such as youth program administrators, guidance counselors, community religious leaders, and others.
Program leader and participant manuals can be purchased through the Toastmasters online store.
The manuals cover effective listening, effective expression, and effective communication. Activities, which include role-playing, are designed to be accessible and realistic to teens.
One section encourages young people to discuss shared experiences—and how they felt, thought, and behaved in such situations. The goal is to practice empathy. Suggested scenarios include:
- Finishing a big project
- Losing a friend
- Visiting a foreign country
- Moving away
- Being left out
Teens also learn that effective communication includes body language, voice control, and using appropriate words to defuse conflicts.
Speechcraft
Another Toastmasters outreach program is Speechcraft, which is aimed at adults and is an excellent membership-building tool. Through that six-week course, clubs can introduce community members to Toastmasters and the fundamentals of public speaking. To learn more about the community-based programs, visit the Toastmasters website.
