BExSTEM Privacy Policy

Last Updated: June 11, 2025

1. Introduction

The BExSTEM Project ("BExSTEM", "we", "us", "our") is committed to protecting the privacy of our participants ("you"). This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, share, and protect your personal information when you visit our website, register for, or participate in The BExSTEM Challenge ("The Challenge").

BExSTEM is a fiscally sponsored project of Hack Club, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

By using our services, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy.

2. Information We Collect

We collect information to operate The Challenge effectively and provide you with the best experience. We collect data in the following ways:

a) Information You Provide Directly:
When you register for The Challenge via our registration form (e.g., Google Forms), we collect:

• Contact Information: First Name, Last Name, and Email Address.
• Demographic Information: Age and Country of Residence.
• Eligibility Information: Your current educational status (e.g., High School Student, University Student).
• Project Information: Your STEM project idea or areas of interest.
• Feedback & Communications: Your answers to questions like "How did you hear about us?" and any questions you submit to our team.

b) Information We Collect Automatically:
When you visit our website, we may collect certain information automatically from your device, including:

• Log and Usage Data: Your IP address, browser type, operating system, and the dates and times you access our services.
• Cookies: We may use cookies to help us operate and improve our website. You can instruct your browser to refuse all cookies or to indicate when a cookie is being sent.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

• To Administer The Challenge: To process your registration, verify eligibility, categorize your submission, and communicate with you about deadlines, updates, and other essential information related to The Challenge.
• For Evaluation: To share your submission details (including your project idea) with our confidential panel of judges and mentors for evaluation purposes.
• For Promotion: In accordance with our Terms of Service, we may use your name, project title, and non-confidential project summaries to promote BExSTEM and The Challenge on our website, social media, and in other materials. We will never share your contact information or detailed confidential project data publicly without your explicit consent.
• To Improve Our Services: To analyze how participants use our services and to gather feedback to improve our future events and offerings.
• To Comply with Legal Obligations: To meet our legal and administrative requirements.

4. How We Share Your Information

Your privacy is paramount. We do not sell your personal information. We may share your information only in the following limited circumstances:

• With Judges and Mentors: Your submission details are shared with our evaluation panel under strict confidentiality agreements.
• With Our Fiscal Sponsor: We may share necessary information with Hack Club for administrative, legal, and financial oversight.
• With Service Providers: We use third-party services to help us operate (e.g., Google Workspace for our registration forms and data storage, and a web hosting provider). These providers are bound by their own privacy and security policies.
• For Promotional Purposes: As described in Section 3 and our Terms of Service.
• As Required by Law: We may disclose your information if required to do so by law or in response to a valid request by a public authority.

5. Data Security

We implement reasonable administrative, technical, and physical security measures to protect your information from unauthorized access, use, or disclosure. The data you submit via our Google Form is stored on Google's secure servers. However, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee its absolute security.

6. Data Retention

We will retain your personal data only for as long as is necessary for the purposes set out in this Privacy Policy and to comply with our legal obligations. You may request the deletion of your personal data at any time by contacting us.

7. Your Privacy Rights

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights regarding your personal information:

• The right to access: You can request copies of the personal data we hold about you.
• The right to rectification: You can request that we correct any information you believe is inaccurate or complete information you believe is incomplete.
• The right to erasure: You can request that we erase your personal data, under certain conditions.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at kevin@bexstem.org.

8. Children's Privacy

BExSTEM is committed to protecting the privacy of children.

• Our services are intended for participants who are 13 years of age or older. We do not knowingly collect personally identifiable information from children under 13.
• If you are a parent or guardian and you are aware that your child under 13 has provided us with Personal Data, please contact us immediately. If we become aware that we have collected Personal Data from a child under 13 without verification of parental consent, we will take steps to remove that information from our servers.
• For participants between the ages of 13 and 18, we require consent from a parent or legal guardian for participation as outlined in our Terms of Service.

9. Links to Other Websites

Our website may contain links to other websites that are not operated by us. If you click on a third-party link, you will be directed to that third party's site. We strongly advise you to review the Privacy Policy of every site you visit. We have no control over and assume no responsibility for the content, privacy policies, or practices of any third-party sites or services.

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update our Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page and updating the "Last Updated" date. You are advised to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any changes.

11. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us:

• By email: kevin@bexstem.org