The Youth Leadership Program is a structured eight-session course that brings Toastmasters' communication and leadership training to participants aged 12–18. Sessions are typically run through a school, community center, religious organization, or scouting group.
A coordinator from a sponsoring Toastmasters club guides participants through prepared speeches, impromptu speaking, evaluations, parliamentary procedure, and leadership exercises. Each workshop is limited to 25 participants so every voice gets enough air time.
What participants do
- Evaluate their starting public-speaking ability.
- Organize and deliver prepared speeches.
- Practice impromptu speaking — short, on-the-spot responses.
- Work on voice, vocabulary, and gesture.
- Give and receive constructive feedback in the Toastmasters format.
- Take turns serving as presiding officer using simplified parliamentary procedure.
How a workshop runs
Participants are selected by a sponsoring Toastmasters club or by a cooperating organization (most commonly a school). Meetings follow a format similar to a Toastmasters club meeting — agenda, timed roles, structured feedback — adapted for the age range. The coordinator attends every session.
For coordinators
Coordinating a Youth Leadership Program counts toward Pathways DTM requirements and is one of the more reliable community-outreach hooks a club can offer. The coordinator handles recruitment with the sponsoring organization, runs the sessions, and submits completion paperwork at the end.
How to start
Contact the District's Youth Leadership Chair — see the Leadership page — to identify a sponsoring club, get materials, and connect with venues that have already asked for the program.