The Scholar's Ascent ("we," "us," or "our") operates the website thescholarsascent.org and its associated educational platform. This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, store, and share information when you use our services, including our Lexicon vocabulary tool, video content library, digital workbooks, student dashboard, parent/educator portal, and related features.
By accessing or using our platform, you agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please do not use our services.
1. Information We Collect
We collect information in several ways depending on how you interact with our platform.
a. Account Information
- Full name and email address
- Password (stored in hashed form; we never store plaintext passwords)
- Profile photo (when signing in via Google authentication)
- User role: student, parent, or educator
b. Payment Information
- Payment transactions are processed securely through Stripe. We do not store credit card numbers, CVVs, or full payment card details on our servers.
- We may retain transaction records such as purchase history, subscription status, and billing email for account management purposes.
c. Usage and Progress Data
- Quiz scores, vocabulary progress, and Lexicon activity (including flashcard usage)
- Video watch history and episode completion status
- Learning streaks, badges earned, and gamification milestones
- Dashboard activity and workbook/planner interactions
d. Portfolio Uploads
- Documents, images, and videos uploaded by users as part of their academic portfolio
e. Referral Data
- Referral codes and information about who referred whom, used for our referral rewards program
f. Communications
- Messages exchanged between users and our administrative team through the platform
g. Lead Capture and Contact Forms
- Email addresses submitted through our newsletter sign-up and free study guide download
- Name, email, subject, and message content submitted through our contact form
h. Automatically Collected Information
- Browser type, device information, and operating system
- IP address and approximate geographic location
- Pages visited, referral URLs, and time spent on the platform
- Cookies and similar tracking technologies (see Section 7)
2. How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect for the following purposes:
- Providing and improving our services — delivering personalized educational content, tracking academic progress, powering the Lexicon tool, and enabling dashboard features
- Account management — creating and maintaining user accounts, authenticating logins, and managing subscriptions
- Communication — sending transactional emails (account confirmation, password resets, purchase receipts), responding to support inquiries, and delivering platform notifications
- Gamification and engagement — calculating streaks, awarding badges, and maintaining leaderboards to motivate learning
- Parent/Educator portal — enabling parents and educators to monitor student progress, manage linked accounts, and receive progress reports
- Referral program — tracking and rewarding successful referrals
- Marketing — sending newsletters and educational resources to users who have opted in (you may unsubscribe at any time)
- Analytics and improvement — understanding how users interact with our platform so we can improve the experience
- Safety and compliance — detecting and preventing fraud, enforcing our terms of service, and complying with legal obligations
3. Information Sharing and Disclosure
We do not sell your personal information. We share data only in the following limited circumstances:
a. Third-Party Service Providers
We work with trusted third-party services that help us operate our platform. These providers only access data necessary to perform their functions and are contractually obligated to protect it:
- Firebase (Google) — authentication, real-time database, cloud storage, and hosting
- Stripe — secure payment processing for subscriptions and purchases
- Resend — transactional email delivery (account confirmations, receipts, notifications)
- Google Analytics — anonymized website usage analytics (if applicable)
- Cloudflare — DNS management, content delivery, and security protection
b. Parent/Educator Access
Parents and educators linked to a student account may view that student's progress data, quiz scores, badges, and activity within the parent/educator portal. This access is designed to support the student's academic growth.
c. Legal Requirements
We may disclose information if required to do so by law, in response to valid legal processes (such as a subpoena or court order), or to protect the rights, property, or safety of The Scholar's Ascent, our users, or the public.
d. Business Transfers
In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, user data may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify affected users before their data is transferred and becomes subject to a different privacy policy.
4. Data Storage and Security
We take the security of your data seriously and implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect it.
- Encryption — All data transmitted between your browser and our servers is encrypted using TLS/SSL (HTTPS). Passwords are stored using industry-standard hashing algorithms.
- Cloud infrastructure — Our data is stored on Google Firebase servers, which maintain SOC 1, SOC 2, and SOC 3 certifications and comply with ISO 27001 standards.
- Access controls — Administrative access to user data is restricted to authorized personnel only, using role-based permissions and multi-factor authentication.
- Cloudflare protection — Our domain is protected by Cloudflare, which provides DDoS mitigation, Web Application Firewall (WAF), and bot management.
- Payment security — All payment data is handled directly by Stripe, a PCI-DSS Level 1 certified payment processor. Card details never touch our servers.
While we strive to protect your information, no method of electronic transmission or storage is 100% secure. We encourage you to use a strong, unique password for your account and to keep your login credentials confidential.
5. Children's Privacy (COPPA Compliance)
The Scholar's Ascent serves students as young as kindergarten through our Seedling Scholar (K-5) program. We are committed to complying with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) for users under the age of 13.
a. Parental Consent Required
We require verifiable parental or guardian consent before collecting any personal information from a child under 13. Parent or guardian accounts must be created first, and the parent/guardian manages the child's account and profile.
b. Minimal Data Collection for Children
For users under 13, we collect only the minimum information necessary to provide our educational services:
- A display name or first name (chosen by the parent)
- Progress data related to lessons, quizzes, badges, and streaks
- Portfolio uploads submitted through the parent-managed account
We do not collect email addresses, full names, or other personally identifiable information directly from children under 13. The parent's email address is used for all account communications.
c. No Behavioral Advertising to Children
We do not serve targeted or behavioral advertising to users identified as children under 13. We do not share children's data with third parties for marketing purposes.
d. Parental Rights
Parents and guardians have the right to:
- Review the personal information collected from their child
- Request the deletion of their child's personal information
- Refuse to allow further collection or use of their child's information
- Manage and update their child's account settings at any time through the parent portal
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at info@thescholarsascent.org.
e. Safety Measures
Child accounts do not have access to messaging features, public forums, or any social interaction tools. All communications are routed through the parent/guardian account. Portfolio uploads for children under 13 are only visible to the child, their linked parent/guardian, and platform administrators.
6. Your Rights and Choices
Depending on your location, you may have certain rights regarding your personal data:
a. Access and Portability
You may request a copy of the personal data we hold about you. We will provide this data in a commonly used, machine-readable format upon request.
b. Correction
You may update or correct your personal information at any time through your account settings or by contacting us.
c. Deletion
You may request deletion of your account and associated personal data. Upon receiving a verified deletion request, we will remove your data within 30 days, except for information we are required to retain for legal, regulatory, or legitimate business purposes (such as transaction records).
d. Marketing Opt-Out
You may unsubscribe from marketing emails at any time by clicking the "unsubscribe" link included in every marketing email or by contacting us directly. Transactional emails (such as purchase confirmations and security alerts) are not affected by marketing opt-out.
e. Cookie Preferences
You may manage your cookie preferences through your browser settings. See Section 7 for more details.
To exercise any of these rights, please email us at info@thescholarsascent.org. We will respond to verified requests within 30 days.
7. Cookies and Tracking
We use cookies and similar technologies to improve your experience on our platform.
a. Types of Cookies We Use
- Essential cookies — Required for the platform to function properly, including authentication tokens and session management. These cannot be disabled.
- Functionality cookies — Remember your preferences, such as language settings and display options, to personalize your experience.
- Analytics cookies — Help us understand how visitors use our website so we can improve content and navigation. We use Google Analytics, which collects anonymized, aggregated data.
b. Third-Party Cookies
Some third-party services (such as Google Analytics and Stripe) may set their own cookies when you use our platform. These cookies are governed by the respective third party's privacy policy.
c. Managing Cookies
Most web browsers allow you to control cookies through their settings. You can block or delete cookies, though doing so may affect the functionality of certain features on our platform. For more information on managing cookies, visit your browser's help documentation.
d. Do Not Track
Our platform does not currently respond to "Do Not Track" browser signals, as there is no universally accepted standard for how to respond to such signals. We will update this policy if a standard is established.
8. Data Retention
We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this policy, unless a longer retention period is required by law.
- Active accounts — Data is retained for the duration of your active account and for a reasonable period thereafter to allow for account reactivation.
- Deleted accounts — Upon account deletion, personal data is removed within 30 days. Certain data (such as transaction records and anonymized usage analytics) may be retained for up to 3 years for legal and accounting purposes.
- Lead capture data — Email addresses collected through our newsletter or free study guide offer are retained until you unsubscribe, at which point they are removed within 30 days.
- Contact form submissions — Messages submitted through our contact form are retained for up to 1 year to allow for follow-up and quality assurance.
- Children's data — Data associated with children under 13 is retained only as long as the parent-managed account remains active. Parents may request deletion at any time.
9. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. When we make material changes, we will:
- Update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page
- Post a prominent notice on our website
- Send an email notification to registered users for significant changes
We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information. Your continued use of the platform after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.
If you have any questions, concerns, or requests related to this Privacy Policy or your personal data, please contact us:
We aim to respond to all privacy-related inquiries within 30 business days.