AAUW Start Smart

AAUW Offers Abbreviated, Online Start Smart and Work Smart Training

The national office of AAUW now has a free, abbreviated, online version of the trainings available on their website. They are encouraging members to share this resource widely, as each additional woman who can negotiate additional pay helps close the gender pay gap!

AAUW Announces Acquisition of Start Smart and Work Smart

photo2-280x170September 04, 2014 The gender pay gap can shortchange the average woman by a couple thousand dollars just one year out of college. And the damage only gets worse over the course of a career.

Making systemic changes for fair pay takes time — and AAUW is proud to be working on the issue. But we also want to give women the tools to empower themselves right now. That’s why AAUW is excited to announce our acquisition of $tart $mart and Work $mart. These workshops empower college and professional women to negotiate better salaries and benefits.

“We have seen the contribution these workshops can make to the paychecks of women in their working lives,” said AAUW Executive Director and CEO Linda D. Hallman, CAE. “Our members are eager to deliver the workshops throughout the country. Tapping the energy and commitment of our members and supporters, AAUW intends to lead American women to wage equity.”

By teaching women how to negotiate for equitable pay and appropriate benefits for both short- and long-term economic security, these programs allow women to take individual action to help diminish the unexplained wage gap. AAUW’s acquisition will build on an excellent foundation of proven results and success.

  • Before attending the $tart $mart workshop, only 25 percent of attendees said they were confident they could negotiate for the salary and benefits that match their education and experience. That number skyrocketed to 91 percent upon completion of the workshop.
  • $tart $mart has grown from 31 workshops in 2008 to more than 740 workshops at 336 colleges, community colleges, and universities across the country.
  • $tart $mart is in all but one of the 50 United States, and more than 1,100 facilitators are trained to lead workshops.

AAUW volunteers have already brought Start Smart to many campuses, and it has been a game-changer for college women. We believe that Work Smart, a salary negotiation workshop for women who are already in the workforce, has the same kind of potential. AAUW looks forward to markedly expanding the delivery of these workshops as part of our work to close the wage gap.

We’re grateful for the support and hard work of AAUW members, facilitators, campus professionals, and volunteers. You have been critical to the success of these programs. We hope this expansion is an opportunity to leverage that success and empower women at work.