Privacy Policy

    Introduction

    Tzedek America is committed to engaging students in social justice work through a Jewish lens while ensuring their privacy and security. This Privacy Policy (“Policy”) outlines how we collect, use, and protect information for students and other individuals who use our services.

    Our Commitments

    • We do not sell student information.
    • We do not target ads or advertise to students.
    • We do not create advertising profiles on students.
    • We make student content private by default.
    • We implement industry-standard security and best practices to protect students.
    • We are transparent about our practices and notify users of any changes.
    • We will delete information upon a school’s request.
    • We only share information with educational agencies performing an appropriate function, as part of maintaining and improving our service, or when required by law.
    • We comply with:
      • The Federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
      • The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA)
      • California’s Student Online Personal Information Protection Act (SOPIPA)
    This Policy governs the collection and use of data on our website (www.tzedekamerica.org) and the Tzedek America Application (collectively, the “Service” or “Tzedek America”). It applies to personally identifiable information collected when:
    • An account is created (“Account Information”)
    • Content is added to a profile (“Profile Content”)
    • Events or groups are created by teachers, counselors, or schools
    • Messages are sent via Tzedek America
    Any data related to an individual student is classified as “Student Data.”

    Parental Consent

    Before any student may use Tzedek America, prior parental or legal guardian consent is required. This consent may be obtained through:
    1. Direct written or electronic submission by the parent or legal guardian.
    2. A school-wide technology consent process.
    3. Teacher, counselor, or school authorization acting as the student’s legal guardian for the sole purpose of participating in educational activities on Tzedek America.

    Information We Collect

    1. Account Information

    We collect a student’s:
    • Name
    • Email address
    • Password
    • Profile picture
    • Telephone number (if entered manually or via third-party sign-in services, such as Clever)

    2. Profile Content

    Tzedek America collects content added to student profiles, including:
    • Photos, files, notes, hyperlinks
    • Comments on posts
    • Other forms of student participation documentation
    Profile Content may be classified as an educational record under FERPA.

    3. Messages

    Any messages exchanged on Tzedek America between students, teachers, and counselors are collected.

    4. Signatures

    Tzedek America collects signatures solely for off-site supervisor verification purposes.

    5. Log Information

    When students use our Service, we collect:
    • Browser type
    • Referring site
    • Date and time of access
    • Internet Protocol (IP) address
    • Login/logout times
    • Volunteering activities and preferences

    6. Communications

    Any direct communications with Tzedek America (e.g., email inquiries) are stored.

    7. Web and Log Data

    We collect log data, including:
    • Device information
    • Operating system details
    • IP address
    • Referring web page and search terms
    If a teacher, counselor, or school administrator accesses Tzedek America, their IP address may be used for location-based notifications about our services.

    Use of Information

    Tzedek America only uses collected data to:
    • Verify identities and facilitate access to our Service
    • Enable teachers, counselors, and schools to interact with students
    • Provide customer support
    • Analyze usage trends to enhance user experience
    • Promote Tzedek America to educational professionals
    • Detect and prevent activities that violate our terms or the law
    A student may withdraw consent at any time and opt-out of marketing communications by providing written notice.

    Strict Prohibition on Sharing Student Data for Advertising

    • We do not share Student Data for advertising.
    • We do not allow third-party advertisers or data brokers to collect student data.
    • We do not permit in-app purchases for student accounts.

    Limited Data Sharing

    Tzedek America only shares student data in the following cases:
    1. With third-party services necessary to operate our platform (e.g., data center operators, email notification services). These providers must comply with contractual obligations prohibiting data misuse.
    2. To comply with legal requirements, such as a valid law enforcement request or FERPA-related school district requests.
    3. With explicit permission, if an external organization seeks to recognize students for educational programs.

    Third-Party Analytics

    Tzedek America may use third-party analytics to improve our platform. These services:
    • Analyze aggregate data only (no personal student information is shared)
    • Are contractually restricted from using Student Data for any external purposes
    • May track sign-ups from marketing campaigns (but do not access student Account Information or Profile Content)

    Cookies & Web Beacons

    • Cookies: Small text files used to keep students logged in, personalize experiences, and track usage trends.
    • Web Beacons: Electronic images that help track engagement with our website and emails.
    Students may disable cookies, but doing so may limit Tzedek America’s functionality.

    Sharing of Events & Groups

    Teachers, counselors, and schools control who can access Events and Groups within Tzedek America.
    • Parents or legal guardians may request access via written notice.
    • School administrators have final authority to approve or deny such requests within five business days.
    • Tzedek America is not responsible for any third-party sharing of student content once authorized by parents or schools.

    Access, Editing & Deletion of Personal Information

    • Students can access, correct, or delete their personal information via Account Settings or by emailing info@tzedekamerica.org.
    • Parents, legal guardians, teachers, or counselors may also request updates by contacting info@tzedekamerica.org.

    Account Deletion

    • To delete an account or any submitted content, email info@tzedekamerica.org.
    • Note: Under FERPA, we must retain student education records upon valid school requests.

    Data Security

    Tzedek America employs industry-leading safeguards to protect personal information:
    • Access-controlled data centers
    • Routine third-party security audits
    • Restricted employee access
    • Data encryption (in transit and at rest)
    In case of a security breach, we will notify affected account holders within the legally required timeframe.

    Changes to This Policy

    Tzedek America reserves the right to modify this Policy at any time.
    • If changes materially affect user rights, we will notify users via email and post an update on our website.
    • Continued use of Tzedek America after a policy update constitutes acceptance of the revised terms.

    Contact Information

    For any questions regarding this Privacy Policy, please contact us at: 📧 info@tzedekamerica.org