In 1985, when I was President of the San Francisco Association of REALTORS and needed to improve…read moremy speaking skills, along with the late David Ravetti, we formed the REALTOR'S Toastmasters Club. The Club has continued to exist all these years and has won many awards. It is so gratifying to see how members continue to develop their speaking ability, gain self confidence, assume leadership roles and develop self condidence. If you want to improve in these areas, I suggest you join our club and have fun at the same time.

I have been a member of SFAR Toastmasters Club for over 2 years. I am a retired senior citizen, and…read moreI live in San Francisco. My husband and I are co-Directors of a community effort to restore the mile long Junipero Serra Greenbelt that runs parallel to Junipero Serra Blvd near the southern border of SF. Toastmasters has helped me out in a very big way. I have gained renewed self confidence and energy, which has improved my public speaking skills. As a result, my speeches at community meetings engage my audiences and help me to recruit volunteers to support my project. Thank you SFAR Toastmasters!

Sadly, AuCoquelet went out of business, but Berkeley Communicators is thriving virtually. It has…read morefun-filled meetings. The best part is learning to communicate with interesting people from different walks of life in a supportive environment.

As far as Toastmasters clubs go, Berkeley Communicators (as this one is known) does a fine job…read more It's a small group (usu. under 10), so your opportunity to address the group comes more often. As you might expect in Berkeley, this is a diverse group; but most importantly, unintimidating. Since they meet early in the morning (7:30) and every other week (alt Thur), it's less disruptive to your day and your month. Some of the members provide great evaluations and insight into improving your speaking skills. It might get noisy in Au Coquelet Cafe, but not so bad that you're fully distracted. A couple useful exercises: 1) Table topics. They throw out a totally impromptu topic (at you), and you speak on it in some capacity for 2-3 minutes. It really helps with the impromptu thing. 2) Writing a speech for the audience. While I knew how to do this going in, it did help as a "for dummies" style reminder that build upon levels such as telling a story & incorporating gestures and props. They will also mercilessly beat you down regarding being under/over time, not projecting properly, and using too many "uhm's" etc. Guests are always welcome.

I used to be a Toastmaster in the East Bay and was looking for a new group to join when I moved…read morecloser to Marin. I visited a couple of groups and landed in this group. From the moment I entered the room, I could feel lots of great energy. everyone was very friendly and I felt very at home. I've been a member now at this club for about 2 years. Toastmasters is a very safe place to improve my speaking skills, learn new skills and become part of larger organization that has tremendous resources for leadership and professional speaking. I highly recommend Toastmasters to anyone who wants to improve their presentation, speaking and communication skills.

Initially I joined this club because its president was someone in my profession and I wanted to…read morelearn from her. Once there, I thought, "Maybe this will help me learn to talk -- to open my mouth and speak in public instead of hiding behind my preferred form of communication -- writing." I'm still here, years later, because club 1441 is one of hundreds of thousands in a worldwide organization that provides a step-by-step program in speaking and leadership that will take you as far as you want to go -- to develop your skills in the local club, or belong to two or three clubs at once and zoom through the program, or work to attain Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM, the highest-level award) and compete in the international competition for Worldwide Champion of Public Speaking. Our DTM advanced to the international competition (eight of the best speakers in the world) three times, and came in second once. She started with us, branched out, and now serves as our secretary and "raise-the-bar-way-up-high" member and mentor. When she speaks, you see the results of years of hard work and training from all the organization's top coaches. When she presents, I watch and listen so hard, to learn from her, that my eyes and ears hurt! The thing is, everyone finds a place, and from there grows and evolves into astonishingly developed versions of themselves. In fact, Toastmasters was founded by Ralph Smedley, in the early 20th century, as a YMCA self-development program for boys. Some clubs are specific to the employees of a company. Some are for advanced speakers. Ours is a community club, which results in a great diversity of personalities and professions, all cross-pollinating. Serious learning in a party atmosphere among people who become like family -- that might be a shorter way to describe Southern Marin Toastmasters, Club 1441, Mill Valley. And, oh yes, I did learn to speak in public, and to really listen!

Please visit the club's website for location information, as location is occasionally subject to…read morechange: http://downtownberkeley.toastmastersclubs.org/ I joined Downtown Berkeley Toastmasters in January and have found it to be a highly valuable experience. I joined to strengthen my confidence and communication in the workplace, and have experienced three recent situations, where I realized I had accomplished just that. I was impressed to see such impact so quickly--not only from having the experience of getting comfortable being up in front other others to give speeches, but in learning how to think faster on my feet during Table Topics (Impromptu speaking), and in assuming other roles that require evaluation, feedback, and presentation skills. Additionally, Downtown Berkeley Toastmasters is an hour I look forward to each week. It is a very warm welcoming group that manages to balance structure and efficiency with a down-to-earth tone. And, I have heard about fascinating topics I would otherwise know nothing about through hearing the speeches of others. All in all a great way to learn, grow, and spend one lunch hour a week!

Starting my third year with this club means I like it! We are so grateful to Berkeley Repertory…read moreTheater for providing us meeting space at 2071 Addison St., the Bakery Room. It's a perfect spot for us: in an historic building in the heart of downtown Berkeley. So much better than the old spot at Berkeley City College where we were at the mercy of confusing schedule changes and surrounded by the chaos of student life. Our Toastmasters club continues to attract new members and many visitors. I so enjoy acting as the club's VP of Education and scheduling program. And,after a long summer of itinerant meetings - during which we stayed on track to meet our membership and speaking goals- our club has a new home! Current membership ranges in age from 30s to 70s and includes students, professionals and retirees as well as members from France, China, Israel and Iran.

I grew up as a member of the Ethnic Arts Institute and the world class training has truly enriched…read moremy life. I use to dance and sing with the Hula and African programs, but I gained the greatest benefits from the performance arts part of it. I was very shy and not a very good public speaker. In fact, I had horrible stage fright. But, through the nourishment of this culturally rich program, I am able to travel and have meaningful and gratifying exchanges with people from all walks of life. Even at work, I am able to conduct meetings in front of large groups and to work as a liaison for my company. I would have never even applied for the position, if I had not acquired the self-confidence from this platform. It's hard to put into words what the program has done for my life. The instructor is just beautiful and her teaching style is unparalleled.

This program is not worth the time or money. The instructors seem more focused on the school's…read morefinancial survival than providing quality education. Some staff members also have difficult personalities, which affects the learning environment. Since the school lacks accreditation, you'd be better off enrolling in a local accredited community college, where you can earn credits and gain valuable experience while saving your money. What Studio A.C.T costs: San Francisco Semester (15 weeks): * Program Tuition: $15,000 * Books & Supplies: $150 * Cultural Landscape: $400 * Total Cost: $15,550 Summer Training Congress (6 weeks): * Program Tuition: $5,500 * Books & Supplies: $25 * Cultural Landscape: Not applicable * Total Cost: $5,525

I've taken several classes here - Intro to acting, Acting 2, Acting 3, Unarmed combat, and armed…read morecombat and every time I feel such clear growth through the classes, appreciation for the instructor and passionate peers, and feeling more confident in myself and my skills. Classes can be very different depending on what instructor you have, so try diversifying your instructors to get a feel for what teaching styles you like. I can also be helpful to ask other students which instructors they've had and what they thought. I really enjoyed Jomar as an instructor, he gives awesome feedback and has such a positive attitude. Dave maier is an excellent fight instructor. ACT also has a good reputation in the bay and most people I've talked to who've lived here a while know of it. For acting 2 and 3, be prepared to put some time into memorizing scripts - it makes your experience a lot better if you're partially or fully off-book!

I have been a member for over 2 years and have seen improvement in not only my speaking skills, but…read morehow I approach conversations and meetings with others. Before joining, I was welcomed warmly. Throughout my time so far here, other members have always made me feel safe to try new things. When receiving feedback, I get to hear how others perceived my speech - where I did well and where I can improve. I have gotten many great tips over my time at this club. I would recommend this club to anyone looking to improve their speaking and leadership skills as well as gain more confidence and be part of a positive environment.

I joined during the pandemic as a remote guest, and I felt really welcomed by the group. The folks…read moreare open and provide great feedback. Even before feeling comfortable with speaking, I learned a lot by watching other members speak and provide feedback. Soon, I tried my hands at a few speeches, and I got some great tips on how to improve. The speeches offered me regular challenges, and the team gave me lots of support along the way. Glad we can learn and uplift each other. Thanks!

I took Beginner/Intermediate Improv with Diana Brown this past summer, and I liked it so much, I…read moretook it again this past month! Diana has a supportive and empathetic approach that I really appreciate. There is a high priority in making this a safe space, to the point of even inviting people to state their boundaries (in terms of both content you could talk about in class and physical contact/limitations). One of the things I really like is that she asks us how we feel after each improv exercise, almost like informal therapy (it is important to note that this is NOT a substitute for actual therapy). Due to her travels, I've experienced two different substitute teachers, one of whom was more focused on technical feedback and one that focused more on physicality. It was interesting to see different teaching styles, though I still preferred Diana's style. One of the things that was important to me was that this class happened in the daytime, so I wouldn't have to take public transportation at night. It is also important to note that this location is easy to reach by public transportation, which is better for my health and the environment! I will note that when I was searching for different improv classes in the Bay Area, I noticed that Berkeley Rep was one of the more expensive classes. However, if you can afford it and are feeling trepidatious about trying improv, I recommend saying "yes, and..." to this one!

Great venue for adventurous audiences!…read more I've been to a number of shows here, and I really appreciate the shows they book and the venue itself. The theater is small enough to feel intimate while still large enough to still find affordable tickets. Located just off the downtown Berkeley BART, you are steps away from tons of great food and drink options. The theater itself has a bar and sells nibbles (sweet and savory). You are allowed to bring drinks into the theater, so long as they are covered. Their mission statement, as taken from their website, is: "Berkeley Rep creates ambitious theatre that entertains and challenges its audiences, provokes civic engagement, and inspires people to experience the world in new and surprising ways." I am happy to support a local theater that is taking risks to bring important topics to the stage and engage audience members to reflect critically on society and their involvement in it.