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Your Slack Community Space

A look into the different channels and how to best utilise them

💬 The ToU Slack Community

The ToU Slack Community is at the heart of how we stay connected with each other. Through our Slack Community, not only will you keep in touch with learners in your intake, but it is your portal to connecting with your global community, and finding the networks that will help you turn your mission into action.

To keep our Community rich and navigable, Slack is organised around a few key layers;

👍Your Onboarding channel (start here)

When you join, you're automatically added to a channel shared with everyone who started at the same time as you, whatever they're studying. It's a safe space for early questions, low-stakes and everyone equally new.

📣 Core Community Channels 

These channels are the shared backbone of the ToU Community. Every learner is automatically added to these spaces, so you don’t need to hunt them down or decide where to start.

They’re where Community comes to life day-to-day, and you’ll naturally dip in and out depending on what you need: information, connection, inspiration or support.

🚀Start with these...

These are added automatically when you join:

  • #00-community-news: your Community HQ. Weekly updates, announcements and everything you need to know. If you only follow one channel, follow this one.
  • #01-say-hello: introduce yourself to the community. Everyone here is doing the same thing, so there's no wrong way to say hi.
  • #02-lets-connect: the general space for questions, ideas and sense-checking with peers. If it doesn't fit anywhere else, it probably fits here.
  • #03-opportunities-and-asks: job seeking and promoting, internships, events and collaborations.
  • #04-kudos-and-shoutouts: recognise a peer, celebrate a win, say thank you publicly.
  • #05-wellbeing: a supportive space focused on balance, resilience and looking after yourself during your studies.
  • #06-worth-sharing: articles, resources and social posts worth the community's time.

💡 Find out more about the Wellbeing Hub in the Learner Handbook.

🛣️ Community Pathways

Community Pathways are the primary way to engage with community around a shared interest or direction. You are encouraged to choose one Pathway as your main anchor, while remaining welcome to explore others:

These are opt-in, but highly encouraged. Search Slack to find and join the one that fits.

Within Pathway channels, you can:

  • Connect with peers aligned around shared interests
  • Share resources, tools and best practices
  • Ask questions and learn from others’ experiences
  • Stay up to date with Pathway events, Circles and Immersion moments

👉Check out more about Pathways and choose the one for you 👈

🌍 Action Hubs (Local connection)

Action Hubs connect you with other learners and Alumni in your local area. They’re a space to:

  • Meet peers near you
  • Organise local meetups
  • Create impact in your own context

Action Hub channels all start with the prefix #hub.  Search and join the one closest to you, or more than one if you move around.

If you can't find an Action Hub near you right now, get in touch if you'd like to create one. 

💡 Find out more about Action Hubs in the Learner Handbook.

💞 Affinity Channels

These are dedicated spaces for specific communities and interests within ToU. Our current affinity spaces are;

If you are interested in establishing a new affinity space, reach out to the Community Team.

💭 Learning & Academic Channels

These spaces support your academic journey alongside Community:

Your Mission Group

Your Mission Group channel connects you with your matched, high-trust peer group for the whole journey. Channels are assigned, not chosen, and follow the format #-0-mission-group-mm-yy-01. 

Programme Community

Once you're underway, you'll also be invited to join your Programme Community Channel, where you can connect with learners and Alumni who have gone through the same journey on the same programme as you. 

💡 Find out more about Mission Journey and Mission Groups in the Learner Handbook

🤔What's the difference between the Community Directory & Slack?

Slack is your Community, in real time. The Directory is for when you are searching for something or someone specific;

Community Directory Slack
Job Finding the right person Talking to people in real time
Mode Asynchronous, searchable, structured Conversational, live
You use it when You know what you need and want to find who can help You want to be part of an ongoing conversation or ask something now
It's like A directory or address book A room full of people talking

Use the Community Directory to find someone. Use Slack to talk to everyone.

🧹 Keeping Slack manageable

As you progress through your studies, your Slack space can grow quickly. We recommend regularly organising your channels by Section, so Community stays supportive rather than overwhelming.

👉 Check out this 1-minute video on how to organise your Slack channels in a way that works for you.

You don’t need to be everywhere in Slack. Start with your Pathway, stay connected through Community News, and build from there as your needs evolve.