Privacy Policy
Effective Date: 09-Jun-2026 · Last Updated: 09-Jun-2026
Recent update: This policy has been updated to reflect our use of DocuSign for electronic parental consent for minor participants, and to provide additional disclosures regarding FERPA and our electronic consent record practices.
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, COPPA, and FERPA
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) and, where applicable, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
- Participants under 18: When an individual under 18 registers for a Stellr event, we require verifiable parental or legal guardian consent before confirming their participation. We collect this consent electronically via DocuSign, a FERPA-compliant electronic signature provider. A consent form is automatically sent to the parent or guardian email address provided at registration. We will not confirm participation for a minor until this consent is received.
- Participants under 13: We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 without the verifiable parental consent described above. 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.
- Parent and guardian data:When we collect consent, we collect the consenting parent or guardian’s full name and email address. This information is used solely to administer the consent process and is not used for marketing or shared beyond what is necessary.
- FERPA — school-facilitated registrations:When a school, teacher, or student manager registers a group of students, the data involved (student names, school affiliation, grade level) may constitute education records under FERPA. Stellr acts as a “school official” in these circumstances and processes education records only for the purpose of administering competition participation. We enter into a data processing agreement with schools before processing their students’ education records. Our electronic consent provider, DocuSign, is bound by a FERPA-compliant data processing agreement with Stellr.
- Participants aged 13–17 in individually-registered events: We encourage parents and guardians to review this Policy and discuss it with their child. The DocuSign consent process described above applies to all minor participants regardless of whether registration was individual or school-facilitated.
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)
3.10 Parent and Guardian Information (Consent Records)
- Full name of the consenting parent or legal guardian, as provided at registration or in the emergency contact fields
- Email address of the consenting parent or legal guardian
- Electronic consent records — the executed consent form, signing timestamp, IP address of the signing device, and envelope status — generated and held by DocuSign on Stellr’s behalf
Parent and guardian information is collected solely for the purpose of obtaining and recording consent for a minor’s event participation. It is not used for marketing and is not shared beyond what is necessary to administer the consent process.
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
- Via electronic consent forms sent to parents or guardians through DocuSign when a minor participant registers; the executed form and signing metadata are returned to us by DocuSign upon completion
- 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 and triggering parental consent | Date of birth / age |
| Obtaining verifiable parental consent for minor participants | Parent/guardian name and email; minor name and event details (processed by DocuSign) |
| 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. Our current subprocessors include:
| Provider | Purpose | Data Shared |
|---|---|---|
| Stripe | Payment processing | Name, billing address, payment card data |
| Supabase | Cloud database and hosting | All account and registration data |
| Clerk | User authentication and identity | Name, email, login credentials |
| Resend | Transactional email delivery | Name, email address |
| DocuSign | Electronic parental consent forms (minor participants only) | Minor name, event title, parent/guardian name and email; FERPA-compliant DPA in place |
| Vercel | Website hosting and delivery | Usage/technical data |
| Sanity | Content management | No personal data |
All providers are contractually required to handle your data securely, use it only as directed by us, and not disclose it to third parties for their own commercial purposes. Where required by applicable law, we have executed data processing agreements with each provider.
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.
7.7 FERPA — Education Records
When a school or teacher registers a group of students for a Stellr event, the student data involved (including names, school affiliation, and grade level) may constitute education records under FERPA. In those circumstances:
- Stellr processes education records solely for the purpose of administering competition participation — a legitimate educational interest consistent with FERPA.
- We do not use education records for advertising, product development, or any purpose beyond what is necessary for the event.
- We enter into a school official data processing agreementwith the registering school or institution before processing their students’ education records. This agreement specifies how data may be used and prohibits unauthorised disclosure.
- Our electronic consent provider, DocuSign, is bound by a FERPA-compliant data processing agreement with Stellr and is prohibited from using education record data for any commercial purpose.
- Schools and parents may exercise their FERPA rights by contacting us at privacy@stellreducation.org.
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) |
| Electronic consent records (DocuSign) | 7 years from date of signing (legal record of parental consent) |
| Parent/guardian contact information | Duration of account, or until the associated minor participant record is deleted |
| 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
Schools and Educators (FERPA Rights)
Schools whose students’ education records are processed by Stellr have the right to:
- Inspect and review education records held by Stellr relating to their students
- Request correction of inaccurate education records
- Request deletion of education records upon withdrawal from an event
- Receive a copy of any data processing agreement between Stellr and DocuSign covering student education records
Contact us at privacy@stellreducation.org with the subject line FERPA Request.
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.