Terms of Use.

These Terms of Use (“Terms”) govern your access to and use of websites, applications, forms, digital services, and other online services operated by EXPLR PBC Inc. (“EXPLR,” “we,” “us,” or “our”), including National STEM Festival websites and related services (collectively, the “Services”).

By accessing or using the Services, you agree to these Terms. If you do not agree, please do not use the Services.

Certain competitions, applications, events, programs, subscriptions, purchases, or other activities may have additional rules or terms. Where additional terms apply, they will govern that activity and will take precedence over these general Terms if there is a conflict.

1. About EXPLR

EXPLR PBC Inc. is a United States public benefit corporation.

Postal address:

EXPLR also conducts business activities in the United Kingdom.

2. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time to reflect changes to our Services, programs, technology, business practices, or legal requirements.

The “Last updated” date at the top of these Terms will show when they were most recently revised.

Where a change materially affects your rights in connection with an ongoing service or program, we will provide additional notice where reasonably appropriate or required by law.

Changes will not reduce rights that cannot lawfully be limited or excluded.

3. Age Requirements

National STEM Festival application and submission services are intended for participants age 13 and older.

Individuals under 18 may be required to involve a parent or legal guardian in particular activities, including competition participation, travel, media permissions, event attendance, or acceptance of program-specific terms.

Where parent or guardian consent is required, participation may be conditional on EXPLR receiving the required authorization.

General informational content on our websites may be viewed by younger users, but children under 13 should not submit personal information through application or registration services intended for participants age 13 and older.

For more information about how we handle personal information relating to children and young people, please see our Privacy Policy.

4. Privacy and Data Protection

Your use of the Services is subject to our Privacy Policy, which explains the personal information we collect, why we use it, how it is stored and shared, international data transfers, and the privacy rights that may apply to you.

Where these Terms and the Privacy Policy address the same personal-data issue differently, the Privacy Policy will govern our handling of personal information.

Our use of cookies and analytics technologies is also described in the Privacy Policy and through the Cookie Preferences controls available on our website.

5. Intellectual Property

Unless otherwise stated, the websites, branding, graphics, text, videos, audio, educational materials, designs, software, trademarks, logos, and other content made available by EXPLR are owned by or licensed to EXPLR and are protected by applicable intellectual-property laws.

You may view and use our publicly available website content for your own personal, non-commercial, informational, or educational purposes.

Except where permitted by law or expressly authorized by EXPLR, you may not:

• reproduce, republish, distribute, sell, sublicense, or commercially exploit EXPLR content;
• remove copyright, trademark, attribution, or proprietary notices;
• download, copy, or redistribute video content where downloading has not been enabled;
• systematically scrape, harvest, extract, or compile website content or data;
• use automated systems to create datasets from EXPLR content; or
• use EXPLR-owned content to train or develop artificial-intelligence or machine-learning models without our written permission.

Nothing in these Terms restricts uses that applicable law expressly permits, including applicable fair-use, fair-dealing, quotation, criticism, review, or educational exceptions.

“EXPLR,” “National STEM Festival,” and associated names, logos, and marks are trademarks or service marks of EXPLR or their respective owners. These Terms do not grant permission to use them.

6. Student Projects, Applications and Other Submissions

The Services may allow users to submit applications, student projects, project PDFs, video links, photographs, media, written content, feedback, or other materials.

Student and Program Submissions

Submitting a student project or application to EXPLR does not, by itself, transfer ownership of the underlying project or intellectual property to EXPLR.

You grant EXPLR the limited rights reasonably necessary to receive, store, process, review, judge, administer, and otherwise operate the applicable program.

National STEM Festival competitions and other programs may have separate Official Rules, Submission Rules, media releases, participation agreements, or other program-specific terms governing eligibility, judging, intellectual property, publicity, and permitted uses of submitted materials.

Those program-specific terms control for that program.

Your Responsibility for Submissions

You should only submit materials that you have the right to submit.

You must not knowingly submit material that:

• infringes another person’s intellectual-property or privacy rights;
• is unlawful, fraudulent, threatening, abusive, or malicious;
• contains malware or harmful code; or
• falsely represents another person’s work as your own.

Where appropriate, applicants may acknowledge mentors, collaborators, sources, prior research, or third-party materials in accordance with applicable program rules.

7. Public Galleries, Media and Festival Content

Certain student projects, participant profiles, photographs, interviews, videos, quotations, or other materials may be displayed publicly through EXPLR or National STEM Festival websites, social media, events, press materials, exhibitions, broadcasts, or other communications.

Identifiable student media is used subject to applicable permissions, releases, program terms, and law.

Participation in a competition or submission of an application does not automatically give third parties unrestricted rights to a student’s project.

8. Educational and Informational Content

Content made available through the Services is provided for educational and informational purposes.

EXPLR programming may discuss science, technology, engineering, health, medicine, careers, artificial intelligence, finance, entrepreneurship, law, research, or other professional subjects.

This content is not intended to constitute medical, legal, financial, investment, safety, or other professional advice and should not be relied upon as a substitute for advice from an appropriately qualified professional.

References to particular companies, products, technologies, careers, institutions, methodologies, research, or viewpoints do not necessarily constitute endorsement or recommendation by EXPLR.

9. Accuracy and Availability

We make reasonable efforts to keep information accurate and current, but information may occasionally contain errors or become outdated.

Programs, schedules, speakers, events, eligibility requirements, application dates, opportunities, venues, and other information may be changed where reasonably necessary.

Where Official Rules, participation agreements, event terms, award terms, or other program-specific terms apply, those documents govern the applicable activity.

We do not guarantee that every part of the Services will always be available, uninterrupted, or error-free.

Nothing in this section limits rights that cannot legally be excluded.

10. External Links and Third-Party Services

The Services may link to websites, platforms, resources, registration systems, social networks, or services operated by third parties.

A link or reference does not necessarily mean that EXPLR endorses the third party, its content, or its services.

Independent third parties control their own websites, services, privacy practices, terms, security, and content. You should review their applicable terms and policies before using their services.

11. Events and Third-Party Activities

EXPLR may promote, list, collaborate on, or participate in events and activities organized by independent venues, partners, sponsors, institutions, or other third parties.

Where an event or activity is independently organized by a third party, that organization is responsible for the aspects of the event or service it controls.

Event information may change, and participants should review applicable event details, eligibility requirements, safety information, cancellation policies, and participation terms.

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, EXPLR is not responsible for acts, omissions, cancellations, delays, changes, systems, services, or other matters controlled by an independent third party.

Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, or any other liability that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited.

Nothing in these Terms affects statutory or consumer rights that cannot lawfully be waived or restricted.

12. Acceptable Use

You must not use the Services to:

• violate applicable law;
• infringe another person’s rights;
• impersonate another person or misrepresent your identity;
• upload malicious software or code;
• interfere with or disrupt the Services;
• attempt to gain unauthorized access to systems, accounts, or information;
• circumvent security or technical protections;
• harvest personal information about other users;
• systematically scrape or extract data without authorization;
• use automated tools in a manner that places an unreasonable burden on the Services;
• engage in fraudulent or deceptive activity; or
• use the Services in a way that could reasonably cause harm to EXPLR, participants, or other users.

We may take reasonable steps to investigate suspected misuse and protect our systems and users.

13. Feedback

We welcome suggestions and feedback about EXPLR and our programs.

If you voluntarily provide general ideas, comments, or suggestions about improving our Services, you allow EXPLR to consider and use that feedback without an obligation to compensate you.

This section does not transfer ownership of a student’s competition project, invention, research, creative work, or other program submission to EXPLR.

14. Suspension or Restriction of Access

We may suspend, restrict, or terminate access to some or all of the Services where we reasonably believe this is necessary because of:

• a material violation of these Terms or applicable program rules;
• unlawful, fraudulent, or harmful activity;
• a security threat;
• abuse or harassment of other users;
• attempts to compromise our systems; or
• another legitimate reason necessary to protect EXPLR, participants, or third parties.

Where reasonably practical and appropriate, we may provide notice or an opportunity to resolve the issue.

15. Disclaimers

Nothing in these Terms affects rights or remedies that cannot lawfully be excluded.

Subject to those rights, the Services and free informational content are provided on an “as available” basis.

We do not promise that the Services will always be uninterrupted, completely secure, error-free, or suitable for every particular purpose.

We are not responsible for problems caused by circumstances outside our reasonable control, subject to applicable law.

For consumers in jurisdictions that provide mandatory statutory protections, including the United Kingdom, those protections continue to apply.

16. Limitation of Liability

Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits EXPLR’s liability for:

• death or personal injury caused by our negligence;
• fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation;
• breach of obligations that applicable law does not allow us to exclude or limit; or
• any other liability that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited.

Consumers

If you are using the Services primarily for personal, family, educational, or other non-business purposes, we do not exclude or limit liability where doing so would violate applicable consumer law.

To the extent permitted by law, EXPLR is not responsible for losses that were not reasonably foreseeable when you began using the applicable Service or that result from circumstances outside our reasonable control.

We are not responsible for business losses suffered by an individual using the Services as a consumer.

Business Users

If you use the Services for business or professional purposes, then, to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, EXPLR will not be liable for indirect or consequential losses, loss of profits, loss of revenue, loss of business opportunity, loss of goodwill, or loss of anticipated savings arising from use of the Services.

Where liability to a business user can lawfully be limited, EXPLR’s total aggregate liability relating to the applicable Service will not exceed the greater of US$100 or the amount paid to EXPLR for that Service during the 12 months preceding the event giving rise to the claim, unless different terms have been agreed in writing.

17. Responsibility for Misuse

You are responsible for your own unlawful, fraudulent, or deliberate misuse of the Services.

Business users agree, to the extent permitted by applicable law, to compensate EXPLR for reasonable losses, liabilities, and expenses arising directly from their material breach of these Terms or unlawful misuse of the Services.

We do not require consumers to indemnify EXPLR in circumstances where doing so would be prohibited or unfair under applicable consumer law.

18. Paid Services and Purchases

Certain EXPLR services, subscriptions, registrations, tickets, products, or programs may involve payment.

Where a purchase is offered, additional purchase, cancellation, subscription, refund, or program terms may apply and will be presented where appropriate.

Nothing in these Terms reduces statutory rights relating to paid goods, services, or digital content.

19. Governing Law and Disputes

These Terms are generally governed by the laws of the State of New York, without regard to its conflict-of-law rules.

However, if you are a consumer, this choice of law does not deprive you of mandatory consumer protections available under the law that applies where you live.

United Kingdom Consumers

If you live in the United Kingdom, you retain the mandatory consumer protections applicable in the part of the United Kingdom in which you live.

Nothing in these Terms prevents a UK consumer from bringing a claim in a court that has jurisdiction under applicable UK law.

Other Users

For disputes involving users acting for business or professional purposes, and where another jurisdiction is not required by law, the state and federal courts located in New York will have jurisdiction.

Before beginning formal proceedings, we encourage users to contact us so that we can attempt to resolve concerns informally.

20. International Use

EXPLR operates from the United States and also conducts business activities in the United Kingdom.

Our Services may be accessible from other countries. Availability of a website in a particular country does not necessarily mean that every EXPLR or National STEM Festival program is offered in that country.

You are responsible for complying with laws that apply to your own use of the Services.

Where applicable local law gives you rights that cannot be waived through these Terms, those rights continue to apply.

21. Notices and Communications

We may provide notices relating to the Services by:

• posting them on the applicable website or Service;
• displaying them within an account or application;
• or sending them to an email address you have provided.

Operational messages relating to applications, programs, events, travel, awards, or services are different from marketing communications.

Marketing email preferences are governed by our Privacy Policy and can be changed using the unsubscribe link in applicable emails.

22. Severability and No Waiver

If a provision of these Terms is found to be unlawful or unenforceable, it will be interpreted or modified only to the extent necessary to make it enforceable where permitted by law.

If that is not possible, the affected provision will be removed without affecting the remaining provisions.

If EXPLR does not immediately enforce a provision of these Terms, that does not mean we have waived the right to enforce it later.

23. Assignment

You may not transfer contractual rights or obligations under these Terms to another person where doing so would materially affect EXPLR without our consent.

EXPLR may transfer its rights or obligations in connection with a merger, acquisition, restructuring, financing, corporate reorganization, or sale of all or part of its business, subject to applicable law and without reducing any non-waivable consumer rights.

24. Contact

Questions about these Terms may be sent to: