During the Pathways Outage

Toastmasters International recently announced that its Pathways Learning Experience will be migrating to a new Learning Management System, resulting in Base Camp being temporarily unavailable from October 9th to 25th. While this may seem like an interruption, it presents a unique opportunity for members to stay engaged and continue their personal growth outside of the digital platform.

Here are a few tips to keep progressing during the outage:

1. Leverage Previous Evaluations to Improve and Re-Deliver a Speech: Use this downtime to revisit previous speech evaluations and apply the feedback to refine and re-deliver one of your past speeches. Evaluations are a valuable tool for growth, offering insights into areas of strength and opportunities for improvement. By revising a speech based on past feedback, you not only strengthen your message and delivery but also demonstrate your ability to incorporate previous feedback—an essential leadership skill. This process allows you to elevate your performance, improve your confidence, and showcase your progress to your club members when Base Camp is back online.
2. Work Offline: Plan ahead by downloading project materials from Base Camp before the outage. Navigate your way to the “Your Evaluation” section of any Pathways project and click “Print My Project” to download an electronic copy of your entire project including the evaluation resource. Continue to work on your project and deliver it to your club despite the Base Camp outage
3. Focus on Personal Development: Use this period to read articles from the Toastmasters Magazine, watch TED Talks, or listen Toastmasters Podcast episodes podcasts that align with your Pathways goals. These resources can broaden your perspective and deepen your understanding of communication and leadership.

Why is it important to keep moving forward? Consistency is key to personal development. By maintaining momentum during the outage, you avoid losing progress, stay connected with your club, and continue refining your skills. Plus, once the new Learning Management System is operational, you’ll be in an excellent position to dive right back into Pathways and keep advancing with renewed focus and energy.

Staying engaged ensures that your journey toward becoming a confident communicator and leader remains uninterrupted!

Chuck LeBlanc, DTM
District Education Committee Chair