DTM: The New Service Project

Veterans of the traditional education program may wonder if the DTM project is just a new name for the High Performance Leadership (HPL) project. While both require the member to show leadership of a team, the DTM project must benefit an organization, such the member’s employer, another nonprofit organization, or a Toastmasters club, Area, or District. The HPL project doesn’t have such a stipulation. HPL projects are a Level 5 project, either an elective or a requirement depending on the path. Members who are working on their DTM might never complete HPL now.

Unlike an HPL project, the DTM project does not have the oversight and approval of a committee attached to it as the HPL project does. Members working toward a DTM build a team and are reviewed by the team, and can work on a fully individual project without the assistance of others to complete the task.

General Requirements

Before beginning a DTM project, the member must have completed one Pathways path and three levels of a second path. (You must have completed two full paths before receiving your DTM award.) As with the HPL, the member must develop a project plan, build a team, and lead them in carrying out the program. New elements include a 360° evaluation by the team, a peer, and the organization benefiting from the work.

For specific requirements, email educationprogram@toastmasters.org.