The short version
- You can use this site without creating an account or giving us any personal information.
- Apart from the standard technical data any website receives (see below), we collect only what you choose to send us: a message through the contact form or email, or a chapter leader application.
- We use that information to reply to you and to run our workshops. We never sell it.
- The "Find nearest to me" button uses your location on your device only. It is not sent to us or stored.
- You can ask to see, correct, or delete your information at any time by emailing [email protected].
Who we are
STEMroots Inc. is an Ontario not-for-profit corporation (Corporation No. 1001623975) that runs free, hands-on STEM workshops at schools across Canada. This policy covers the website at stemroots.ca. The schools and partners we work with have their own privacy practices, which this policy does not cover.
What we collect, and why
1. Messages you send us. When you use the contact form or email us, we receive your name, your email address, the role you tell us (teacher, parent, student, and so on), your school or city if you include it, and your message. We use this to reply, to plan a workshop with you, and to keep a record of the conversation. Messages are stored in our email inbox, which is provided by Google (Gmail), and are read only by the STEMroots team members who need them to respond.
2. Chapter leader applications. Applications are submitted through a Google Form, which Google processes under its own privacy policy. We use what you submit to assess your application, arrange an interview, and, if you join us, to coordinate workshops and confirm volunteer hours.
3. Your location, only if you ask. If you press "Find nearest to me", your browser asks whether you want to share your location. If you allow it, your coordinates are used on your device to sort our chapters by distance and to centre the map. They are not sent to STEMroots and we do not store them. The map itself is drawn with map tiles from OpenStreetMap, whose servers, like any map service, receive the area of the map being displayed.
4. Technical information. The site is delivered through Cloudflare, which protects it from attacks and keeps it fast. Cloudflare processes connection data such as your IP address and may set a cookie needed for its bot protection. We do not use this data to identify you.
5. Analytics. We may use Google Analytics 4 to understand which parts of the site people use, on what kind of device, and roughly where from, with IP addresses anonymized. It sets cookies to do this. We use analytics only to improve the site, never to identify individual visitors. You can block analytics cookies in your browser settings or with Google's opt-out add-on.
Services we rely on
Some parts of the site are provided by other companies. When your browser loads them, those companies receive the standard technical information that comes with any web request, such as your IP address.
- Cloudflare: security and content delivery in front of our own web server (privacy policy).
- Google: web fonts, Google Forms and Google Docs for applications and the role guide, and Google Analytics if enabled (privacy policy).
- OpenStreetMap: the map tiles for our chapter map (privacy policy). If we switch the map to CARTO's style, CARTO provides the tiles instead (privacy policy).
- unpkg: delivers the open-source code libraries the site runs on.
- Instagram: we link to our profile; nothing from Instagram loads on this site unless you follow the link.
Children
Our workshops are for students, but this website is written for teachers, school staff, parents, and prospective volunteers. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 through this site. If you believe a child has sent us information, email us and we will delete it.
Photos
The photos on this site come from our workshops and events. If you or your child appear in a photo and would like it removed, email us and we will take it down promptly.
How long we keep information
We keep messages and applications for as long as we need them to respond to you and run our programs, then delete them. You can ask us to delete your information sooner at any time.
Your choices and rights
Canada's federal privacy law for businesses (PIPEDA) may not formally apply to a not-for-profit like ours, but we follow its fair information principles anyway. You can ask what personal information we hold about you, ask us to correct or delete it, or withdraw your consent to our using it. Write to [email protected] and we will respond within 30 days. You can also raise concerns with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada.
Security
The site is served over HTTPS, and access to messages and applications is limited to the team members who need them. No system is perfectly secure, so please don't send us sensitive information such as health details or government ID numbers; we never need them.
Changes to this policy
If we change how we handle information, we will update this page and the effective date at the top.
Contact
Questions about privacy, or a request about your information: [email protected].