Toastmasters International (TI) is a US-headquartered nonprofit educational organization that operates clubs worldwide for the purpose of helping people develop communication, public speaking, and leadership skills.

On 24 March 1905, Dr. Ralph C. Smedley, a 1903 graduate from Illinois Wesleyan University, who was also the educational director for Bloomington YMCA in Illinois, started a club in a dinner meeting, to train young boys and men in speech, to face an audience, and to express their thoughts.

He envisioned it as a weekly social club, with training programs for short speeches, debates, and work in chairmanship.

[4] The organization grew out of a single club founded by Smedley on October 22, 1924, at the YMCA in Santa Ana, California, United States.

[5][6][8] Toastmasters International places a large emphasis on building the public speaking and leadership skills of its members.

[12] The current education system Pathways consists of eleven differing paths suited to their needs and requirements, based around Public Speaking, Interpersonal Communication, Management, Strategic Leadership, and Confidence.

[13] Content consists of online and print materials, it being the first time in the organization’s history to provide modern technology in its programme.