As a member of Education and Development Program, you will gain knowledge and skills in facilitating groups of adults in your workplace or Toastmasters.
Frequently asked Questions
What is the Education and Development Program? A team of facilitators/educators who train club officers and leaders in their role. It is the intent of the ED Team to have a pool of committed facilitators throughout D99 who can bring quality and consistent training to members anywhere in D99; for example, team members not only facilitate in their home area but also are willing to serve in outlying areas as needed.
Why do we need a Program? To bring consistency and quality training to club officers. Better planning for Club Officer Training (COT) & Leadership Training (LT) sessions, as the training team of presenters is already in place one year in advance.
Does the ED Team arrange COT & LT No, the Division Directors and District Program Quality Director do. They consider many different factors when planning COT & LT; such as, the number of committed participants planning to attend in said location and the ED Team availability. They also arrange a venue, advertising, dates, and subcommittees.
Who Makes the COT & LT agenda? It is the responsibility of the Division Director and Ed Team Coordinator to build the agenda together. As a further effort to bring quality and consistency to the members, COT & LT agendas need to be approved by the District Program Quality Director.
Who benefits from the program? Toastmaster members Strong leadership, direction, and professionalism at the club level. Club officers Know their role and are able to act on that role. Team members (presenters/educators) Gain knowledge and skills in facilitating groups of adults in their workplace and/or Toastmasters. Develop communication skills, Gain confidence, Gain group leadership skills, Develop negotiation skills, Management skills, Hone problem-solving skills, Discover new talents Division leaders Greater organization & professionalism at all levels of TM. Better planning for COT & LT sessions, as the training team of presenters is already in place one year in advance.
How many trained facilitators are deemed necessary to offer local COT & LT training? In an effort to encourage local COT & LT opportunities in locations such as, Northern Saskatchewan or Lloydminster/Battleford, 12 trained facilitators is recommend in each geographical area who have completed the responsibilities listed on the Education and Development Team website and who act as a team with the ED Coordinator. Having 12 facilitators in local areas will give Division Directors ample flexibility in planning COT & LT.
Why can't we have virtual COT & LT? Face-to-face vs virtual COT & LT is set by Toastmasters International. It may change in the future; however, as it stands face-to-face is the current TI curriculum requirement.
What are the COT & LT dates? The Education and Development Team encourages (not mandates) Division Directors to use the following dates each year for consistency and planning purposes: Round 1 (Level 1) 2nd Saturday in June 3rd Saturday in August Round 2 (Level 2) 2nd Saturday in December 2nd Saturday in February
What if our geographical area is small, and we can't get twelve trained facilitators? A minimum of twelve trained facilitators in each geographical area is a recommendation from the D99 ED Team: -not a flat number -not an absolute number -not a required number -not the only determining factor where COT & LT is held
The division director and program quality director decide where COT & LT are held based on many factors.
It is a goal of the ED Team to have trained facilitators in all the areas of D99 to give directors more flexibility (ie. trained facilitators) when planning COT & LT.
It is also the goal of the ED Team to have facilitators willing not only to facilitate in his/her home area but also willing to sometimes serve in outlying areas as needed. For example, facilitators who live in Saskatoon maybe asked to help with COT in PA and vice-and-versa.
Another way to look at it is: Rural or smaller locations could plan to have facilitators that can facilitate more than one officer role. For example: Prz & SAA - (Joe) VP Ed & Treasurer - (Linda) VP Membership & Secretary - (John) VP PR & Leadership session - (Shirley)
However, four people leaves no leeway for illness, burnout or unforeseen circumstances, as the role is a one year commitment and practice sessions before round one and two COT are to be done for each officer/leadership role to meet the ED Team responsibilities.
Hence the need to work as a District 99 team of facilitatorswhosupport each other and fill in the gaps as needed.