Privacy Policy.

This Privacy Policy explains how EXPLR PBC Inc. (“EXPLR,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) collects, uses, shares, stores, transfers, and protects personal information in connection with EXPLR, the National STEM Festival, our websites, online forms, applications, events, programs, communications, and related digital services (collectively, the “Services”).

This Policy applies to individuals in the United States, United Kingdom, and other jurisdictions where our Services are available, subject to applicable local law.

1. Who We Are

EXPLR PBC Inc. is the organization responsible for the personal information described in this Policy.

EXPLR is incorporated in the United States and also conducts business activities in the United Kingdom.

2. Services and Technology Providers

We use third-party service providers to operate our websites, applications, communications, and programs. These currently include:

• Formspree — online forms, applications, registrations, submissions, and related form processing.
• Google Workspace — email, file storage, documents, spreadsheets, calendars, collaboration, and program administration, including Gmail, Google Drive, Google Docs, Google Sheets, and Google Calendar.
• Mailchimp — email newsletters and marketing communications for individuals who choose to subscribe.
• Squarespace — website hosting, website functionality, cookie controls, and website analytics.
• Google Analytics — website usage and performance analytics, where permitted and, where required, after consent.

These providers may use approved subprocessors to provide their services. They process personal information in accordance with their contracts with EXPLR and their own applicable privacy and security obligations.

We do not currently use Meta Pixel, TikTok Pixel, LinkedIn Insight Tag, Mixpanel, or Segment on the Services, and we do not currently use website visitor information for behavioral advertising or advertising retargeting.

3. Information We Collect

The information we collect depends on how you interact with EXPLR.

Students and Applicants

We may collect information including:

• name and preferred name;
• date of birth or age;
• email address and telephone number;
• home or postal address;
• school, grade/year, and geographic region;
• parent or guardian information where applicable;
• project titles, descriptions, written submissions, and project PDFs;
• photographs;
• links to videos or other project media;
• eligibility and participation information;
• media permissions and releases; and
• optional demographic information.

Applications to National STEM Festival competitions are intended for participants age 13 and older.

Optional Demographic and Accessibility Information

We may ask participants to voluntarily provide information such as race or ethnicity, gender, accessibility or disability requirements, or dietary requirements.

These questions are optional unless we clearly explain that particular information is necessary to provide a requested accommodation or service.

Some of this information may be considered sensitive or “special category” personal data under applicable law. Where required, we process such information on the basis of explicit consent or another lawful condition permitted by applicable law.

We use this information only for legitimate program purposes, such as understanding participation and impact, improving access, providing accommodations, arranging appropriate meals, or meeting reporting requirements.

We do not use this information for behavioral advertising.

Parents and Guardians

We may collect a parent or guardian’s name, email address, telephone number, address, relationship to the participant, permissions, consent forms, media releases, and information needed to administer participation by a minor.

Judges and Reviewers

We may collect information such as name, email address, telephone number, organization, job title, professional background, industry, areas of expertise, and information needed to administer the judging or review process.

Event Participants, Speakers, Partners and Other Participants

We may collect information necessary to administer events and programs, including name, contact details, organization, role, registration information, scheduling information, accessibility or dietary requirements where provided, and related communications.

Email Subscribers

If you choose to receive EXPLR or National STEM Festival news and updates, we collect your email address and any subscription preferences you provide.

Submitting an application or participating in a Festival program does not automatically subscribe you to marketing emails.

Information Collected Automatically

When you use our websites, certain technical information may be collected automatically, including:

• IP address;
• browser and device type;
• operating system;
• pages viewed;
• referring pages;
• approximate geographic information derived from an IP address;
• date and time of visits; and
• cookie and analytics information.

We use cookies and similar technologies as described below.

4. Why We Use Personal Information

Depending on the activity and applicable law, we use personal information to:

Administer applications, competitions and programs. This includes receiving applications, assessing eligibility, organizing judging, selecting finalists and Champions, administering awards, and operating Festival programs.

Legal basis where UK or European data protection law applies: performance of a contract or steps requested before entering a contract, legitimate interests, and consent where appropriate.

Communicate with participants and families. This includes information about applications, results, events, schedules, travel, awards, credentials, participation requirements, and support.

Legal basis: contract, legitimate interests, legal obligation, or consent where required.

Administer events and travel. This may include participant registration, accommodations, travel arrangements, accessibility requirements, dietary requirements, safety information, and event logistics.

Legal basis: contract, legitimate interests, consent, and, where relevant, an appropriate condition for sensitive or special-category data.

Conduct judging and review.

Legal basis: legitimate interests and performance of our programs.

Produce communications, publicity and media. We may use photographs, recordings, interviews, quotations, project information, and participant stories where appropriate permissions have been obtained.

Legal basis: consent, legitimate interests, or another applicable lawful basis depending on the activity.

Send marketing communications. We send newsletters and other marketing emails only where you have chosen to receive them or where another lawful basis permits the communication.

Legal basis: consent where required.

Operate and improve our websites and programs. This includes analytics, troubleshooting, service improvement, security, fraud prevention, and aggregated program reporting.

Legal basis: legitimate interests and, for non-essential cookies or analytics where required, consent.

Comply with law and protect people and EXPLR. We may process information to comply with legal obligations, investigate security incidents or misuse, establish or defend legal rights, or protect the safety of participants and others.

Legal basis: legal obligation, legitimate interests, or vital interests where appropriate.

5. Children and Young People

Many EXPLR and National STEM Festival programs are designed for teenagers.

National STEM Festival applications are intended for participants age 13 and older.

In the United States, our application services are not intended for children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 through those application processes without appropriate parental authorization where legally permitted and required.

In the United Kingdom and other jurisdictions, children and young people have privacy rights in their own right. We take age into account when determining how information is presented, what information is collected, and when parent or guardian involvement or consent is appropriate.

Where required, we obtain parent or guardian permission for activities such as identifiable student media use, travel, or other program participation.

We do not knowingly use children’s personal information for behavioral advertising or advertising retargeting.

If you believe a child has provided information in circumstances where required permission was not obtained, please contact hello@explr-media.com.

6. Student Applications, Judging and Public Content

Full applicant records are accessible only to EXPLR personnel and authorized contractors who need the information to administer the program.

Judges and reviewers receive only the materials needed for the judging process, which may include the project PDF, written project submission, and video submission or video link. Judges do not receive the full applicant administrative record unless it is necessary for a specific authorized purpose.

Student projects, photographs, videos, names, interviews, or other information may be published through EXPLR or National STEM Festival websites, social media, press materials, exhibitions, or other public-facing channels where appropriate permissions have been obtained.

We do not provide identifiable applicant databases or full applicant information to sponsors for their own marketing or recruiting purposes.

7. How We Share Personal Information

We do not sell personal information.

We may share personal information with:

• EXPLR employees and authorized contractors who need access to operate our programs.
• Judges and reviewers, limited to information necessary to evaluate submissions.
• Communications and public-relations providers supporting National STEM Festival and EXPLR communications. Depending on the activity, they may receive relevant participant contact information, project information, photographs, media releases, background information, and other information needed for authorized media and communications work.
• Travel and event providers, after a participant completes the applicable travel or event intake process and only to the extent needed to arrange travel, accommodation, registration, or related services.
• Technology and service providers, including Formspree, Google Workspace, Mailchimp, Squarespace, and Google Analytics.
• Professional advisers, insurers, auditors, and similar providers where reasonably necessary.
• Government authorities, regulators, courts, or law-enforcement bodies where disclosure is required by law or reasonably necessary to protect rights, safety, or security.
• A successor organization in connection with a merger, acquisition, restructuring, financing, or sale of all or part of EXPLR, subject to applicable privacy requirements.

We do not provide student or applicant personal information to sponsors simply because they sponsor or support EXPLR or the National STEM Festival.

8. International Data Transfers and U.S. Storage

EXPLR is a United States company, and our primary data storage and processing takes place in the United States.

This means that if you participate in our Services from the United Kingdom or another country outside the United States, your personal information may be transferred to, stored in, and processed in the United States.

Formspree, which processes our online form submissions, operates U.S.-hosted infrastructure.

EXPLR also uses Google Workspace for email, documents, spreadsheets, file storage, calendars, and program administration. We use U.S. data-region settings for covered Google Workspace data where available.

Other service providers may process information in the United States or other countries in accordance with their service arrangements.

Where UK, European, or other applicable data protection law requires safeguards for an international transfer, we use appropriate legal mechanisms and contractual safeguards, which may include Standard Contractual Clauses, UK-approved transfer mechanisms, adequacy regulations or decisions, and supplementary safeguards where appropriate.

The privacy and data-protection laws of the United States may differ from those in your country. International transfers do not remove the rights available to you under applicable data-protection law.

9. European Economic Area

EXPLR does not currently specifically offer National STEM Festival application programs to individuals in the European Economic Area (“EEA”).

If our activities expand into the EEA and EU data-protection law applies to those activities, we will comply with applicable EU GDPR requirements and, where required, appoint and identify an EU representative.

Simply being able to access an EXPLR website from the EEA does not necessarily mean that an EXPLR program is being offered in that jurisdiction.

10. Marketing Communications

We use Mailchimp to manage marketing email subscriptions.

Individuals are added to marketing communications only when they affirmatively choose to receive email updates or where another lawful basis expressly permits us to contact them.

You may unsubscribe at any time using the unsubscribe link included in our marketing emails or by contacting hello@explr-media.com.

Unsubscribing from marketing does not prevent us from sending necessary operational or transactional communications relating to an application, event, program, award, travel arrangement, or other service you have requested.

11. Cookies and Analytics

We use cookies and similar technologies for website functionality, security, preferences, and analytics.

Our current analytics services include:

• Squarespace Analytics; and
• Google Analytics.

Where applicable law requires consent, including in the United Kingdom, non-essential analytics technologies are used only after the appropriate consent has been obtained through our cookie controls.

You can change your cookie preferences using the Cookie Preferences control on our website.

We do not currently use Meta Pixel, TikTok Pixel, LinkedIn Insight Tag, or similar technologies for cross-site behavioral advertising or retargeting.

12. Data Retention

We keep personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, including legal, operational, safeguarding, audit, and reporting requirements.

As a general guide:

• Unsuccessful applicant information: generally retained for up to 24 months after the relevant program closes or the participant’s last meaningful interaction with EXPLR, after which it is deleted or de-identified unless a longer period is required.
• Finalist and Champion records: certain information may be retained for longer to maintain alumni records, document Festival history and impact, administer ongoing opportunities, and maintain appropriate program records.
• Media releases and approved media assets: may be retained for as long as reasonably necessary for archival, historical, editorial, educational, communications, and promotional purposes consistent with the applicable release or permission.
• Marketing subscriber information: retained while you remain subscribed and for limited periods afterward where necessary to maintain suppression or compliance records.
• Financial, contractual, legal, and audit records: retained for the period required by applicable law or legitimate business requirements.
• Analytics information: retained in accordance with our configured settings and the applicable provider’s retention controls.

We may retain limited information for longer where necessary to comply with law, establish or defend legal claims, prevent fraud, or demonstrate compliance.

13. Your Privacy Rights

Your rights depend on where you live and the laws that apply to our processing.

Depending on applicable law, you may have rights to:

• request access to personal information we hold about you;
• request correction of inaccurate information;
• request deletion of information;
• restrict certain processing;
• object to certain processing;
• receive certain information in a portable format;
• withdraw consent where processing is based on consent; and
• lodge a complaint with an applicable privacy or data-protection regulator.

Withdrawing consent does not affect processing that lawfully occurred before consent was withdrawn.

United Kingdom

Where UK GDPR applies, you may have rights of access, rectification, erasure, restriction, objection, portability, and rights relating to certain automated decision-making.

You also have the right to complain to the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (“ICO”).

United States

Residents of certain U.S. states may have additional privacy rights under applicable state law, including rights to access, correct, delete, or obtain a copy of certain personal information and, where applicable, opt out of certain uses.

EXPLR does not sell personal information and does not currently share personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising or use personal information for targeted advertising as those terms are defined under applicable U.S. state privacy laws.

How to Exercise Your Rights

Email hello@explr-media.com with:

• your name;
• the email address associated with your interaction with EXPLR;
• your country or state; and
• the nature of your request.

We may need to verify your identity before acting on a request.

We will respond within the timeframe required by applicable law.

A parent or guardian may contact us regarding information relating to their child where permitted or required by applicable law.

14. Security

We use reasonable and appropriate administrative, technical, and organizational safeguards designed to protect personal information.

These measures include, where appropriate:

• encrypted transmission;
• access controls;
• role-based permissions;
• restricted access to participant information;
• authentication controls;
• secure cloud-service providers; and
• internal procedures governing access and handling of information.

No online service or storage system can guarantee absolute security.

If we become aware of a personal-data incident, we will investigate and take action consistent with applicable law, including notification to individuals or regulators where required.

15. Events, Photography and Media

EXPLR and National STEM Festival events may include photography, video recording, audio recording, interviews, livestreaming, or press coverage.

For identifiable student media, we obtain appropriate permissions or releases where required, including parent or guardian permission where applicable.

Media participation may also be subject to specific event, participation, or media-release terms.

Independent news organizations and other media outlets may act as independent data controllers and may have their own privacy and editorial practices.

16. Third-Party Websites and Services

Our Services may contain links to third-party websites, platforms, registration systems, social networks, or other services.

EXPLR does not control the privacy practices of independent third parties. Their collection and use of personal information is governed by their own privacy policies and terms.

17. Aggregated and De-identified Information

We may aggregate or de-identify information so that it no longer identifies an individual.

We may use this information for purposes including research, program evaluation, impact reporting, workforce and education insights, service development, sponsor and funder reporting, and understanding participation trends.

We do not attempt to re-identify information that has been properly de-identified except where necessary to test or maintain the effectiveness of de-identification processes or as otherwise permitted by law.

18. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect changes to our Services, technology, legal requirements, or privacy practices.

The “Last updated” date at the top of this Policy will indicate when it was most recently revised.

Where required by law, we will provide additional notice or obtain consent before making a material change that affects how personal information is used.

19. Contact Us

Questions, concerns, or privacy requests may be sent to: