Privacy Policy
Effective Date: 09 June 2026 · Last Updated: 09 June 2026
1. Introduction
Stellr Education (“Stellr,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) operates STEM competitions and an online community for high school students. We are committed to protecting the privacy of all participants, including minors. This Privacy Policy explains what personal information we collect, how we use and protect it, and your rights regarding that information.
By registering for a Stellr competition or creating an account on our platform, you (and, where applicable, your parent or guardian) agree to the practices described in this Policy.
This Privacy Policy applies to: our website, competition registration portals, and online community platform (collectively, the “Services”).
2. A Note About Minors and COPPA
Our Services are directed to school students, many of whom are under the age of 18, and some of whom may be under the age of 13. We comply with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).
- Users under 13: We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 without verifiable parental consent. If we discover we have collected such information without consent, we will delete it promptly. Parents or guardians may contact us at privacy@stellreducation.org to review, correct, or request deletion of their child’s information.
- Users aged 13–17: We encourage parents and guardians to review this Policy and discuss it with their child. Certain data (such as medical and dietary information) may require explicit parental consent regardless of age.
- School-facilitated registrations: When a school or teacher registers students on their behalf, we rely on that school or educator to have obtained appropriate parental authorisation in accordance with applicable law, including COPPA and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
3. Information We Collect
We collect the following categories of personal information:
3.1 Identity and Contact Information
- Full name
- Email address
- Phone number
- Mailing address (where required for in-person events or prize delivery)
- Discord ‘handle’ (i.e. username)
3.2 Academic and School Information
- School name and address
- Year level / grade
- Teacher or faculty sponsor name and contact details
- Team or group affiliations
3.3 Account and Login Credentials
- Username
- Encrypted password
- Account preferences and settings
- Login activity and session data
3.4 Age and Date of Birth
- Date of birth or age range (used for age-group eligibility verification and COPPA compliance)
3.5 Health and Medical Information
- Medical conditions, allergies, or requirements disclosed for in-person event safety purposes (e.g., EpiPen requirements, chronic conditions requiring accommodation)
- This is sensitive personal information and is collected only when necessary for participant safety
3.6 Dietary Requirements
- Dietary restrictions or preferences disclosed for catered in-person events (e.g., vegetarian, vegan, halal, kosher, nut allergy)
3.7 Billing and Payment Information
- Competition registration fees: name on card, billing address, and last four digits of payment method
- Transaction history and payment status
- Full payment card numbers are never stored by Stellr — payments are processed by Stripe, our third-party payment processor(s)
3.8 Photos and Videos
- Competition event photographs and recordings in which you may appear
- Profile photographs uploaded to your account
- Submitted project videos or presentations
3.9 Technical and Usage Data
- IP address, browser type, and device information
- Pages visited and features used within our platform
- Cookies and similar tracking technologies (see Section 9)
4. How We Collect Information
We collect personal information in the following ways:
- Directly from you when you register, create an account, complete forms, or communicate with us
- From parents or guardians providing consent or registering on behalf of a minor
- From schools and educators facilitating group registrations
- Automatically through cookies and analytics tools when you use our platform
- From payment processors who provide transaction confirmation data
5. How We Use Your Information
We use collected information for the following purposes:
| Purpose | Data Used |
|---|---|
| Registering and managing competition participation | Identity, school, age, account data |
| Verifying age eligibility | Date of birth / age |
| Providing access to the online community | Account / login credentials |
| Communicating with participants about competitions and results | Contact information |
| Ensuring participant safety at in-person events | Medical and dietary requirements |
| Processing registration payments and refunds | Billing history |
| Publishing competition results, photos, and highlights | Photos, videos, name |
| Improving our Services through analytics | Technical and usage data |
| Complying with legal obligations | All categories as required |
| Responding to enquiries and support requests | Contact information |
We do not use your information for targeted advertising, sell it to third parties, or use it in automated decision-making that produces legal or similarly significant effects.
6. Legal Basis for Processing
We process personal information on the following legal grounds:
- Consent — for sensitive data (medical, dietary) and for users under 13 (parental consent)
- Contract performance — to fulfil competition registration and service agreements
- Legitimate interests — for platform improvement, security, and fraud prevention, where these do not override your rights
- Legal obligation — to comply with applicable laws including COPPA and FERPA
7. Sharing Your Information
We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. We may share information only in the following circumstances:
7.1 Service Providers
We engage trusted third-party vendors to assist in delivering our Services, including:
- Payment processors (e.g., for registration fees)
- Cloud hosting and database providers
- Email communication platforms
- Event management tools
These providers are contractually required to handle your data securely and only as directed by us.
7.2 Schools and Educators
With the school or teacher who registered a student, limited to information relevant to competition participation (e.g., registration status, results).
7.3 Competition Partners and Sponsors
Competition results, participant names, and school affiliations may be shared with co-organising institutions or sponsors where you have been notified and consented at registration.
7.4 Public Recognition
Unless you opt out, competition results, names, school affiliations, and photographs may be published on our website, social media channels, or press releases. We will seek explicit consent before publishing identifiable photographs of minors.
7.5 Legal Requirements
We may disclose information when required by law, court order, or to protect the safety of participants or the public.
7.6 Business Transfers
In the event of a merger, acquisition, or transfer of assets, personal information may be transferred to a successor organisation, subject to the same privacy protections described here.
8. Sensitive Information
We treat the following categories as sensitive and apply heightened protections:
- Medical and health information — collected solely for participant safety; accessible only to staff with a direct need; never shared with sponsors, partners, or the public; deleted promptly after the relevant event
- Dietary requirements — used only for event catering logistics; not retained beyond the event
- Date of birth — used for eligibility and COPPA compliance; not displayed publicly
- Payment data — handled exclusively by our payment processor Stripe; Stellr retains only transaction confirmations and last-four-digit references
9. Cookies and Tracking Technologies
We use cookies and similar technologies to:
- Keep you logged in to your account
- Remember your preferences
- Collect aggregate analytics on how our platform is used
We do not use advertising cookies or cross-site tracking cookies. You may control cookie settings through your browser. Disabling certain cookies may affect platform functionality.
10. Data Retention
We retain personal information only as long as necessary:
| Data Type | Retention Period |
|---|---|
| Account and competition records | Duration of account |
| Medical and dietary information | Duration of account |
| Payment transaction records | 7 years (US tax/accounting requirements) |
| Photos and videos | Until you request removal, or indefinitely |
| Technical/usage logs | Generally 12 months, with minor exceptions on a platform-specific basis |
You may request earlier deletion subject to Section 12.
11. Data Security
We implement reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect your information, including:
- Encryption of passwords and sensitive data at rest and in transit (TLS/SSL)
- Restricted staff access on a need-to-know basis
- Regular security reviews of our platform
- Prompt notification to affected users in the event of a data breach, as required by applicable law
No system is completely secure. If you believe your account has been compromised, contact us immediately at privacy@stellreducation.org.
12. Your Rights
All Users
- Access — request a copy of personal information we hold about you
- Correction — request correction of inaccurate information
- Deletion — request deletion of your information (subject to legal retention requirements)
- Withdrawal of consent — withdraw consent for processing based on consent (e.g., for publication of photos)
- Opt-out of communications — unsubscribe from non-essential emails at any time
Parents and Guardians (COPPA Rights)
- Review personal information collected from your child under 13
- Request correction or deletion of that information
- Refuse further collection or use of your child’s information
- Contact us at any time: privacy@stellreducation.org
California Residents (CCPA/CPRA)
California residents have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act:
- Right to know what personal information is collected, used, shared, or sold
- Right to delete personal information
- Right to opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information (we do not sell personal information)
- Right to non-discrimination for exercising your privacy rights
- Right to correct inaccurate personal information
- Right to limit use of sensitive personal information
To exercise any of these rights, contact privacy@stellreducation.org. We will respond within 45 days.
13. Third-Party Links
Our platform may contain links to third-party websites or resources (e.g., partner organisations, competition hosts). We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those sites and encourage you to review their policies independently.
14. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will post the revised version on our website with an updated “Last Updated” date. For material changes, we will provide notice via email or a prominent platform notification. Continued use of our Services after notice constitutes acceptance of the updated Policy.
15. Contact Us
For questions, concerns, or to exercise your privacy rights, please contact:
Stellr Education — Privacy Team
Email: privacy@stellreducation.org
For urgent concerns involving a minor’s data, please mark your email URGENT: Minor Data.