Last Review and Update: October 15, 2021

Pennsylvania FIRST Robotics takes your privacy seriously. As a nonprofit and a mission-driven youth-serving organization, we are compelled to understand who we are serving, how our programs are performing, and make improvements so that we can achieve our goals of making FIRST accessible to any youth who wants to be part of the fun, exciting and life-changing experience. Thus, we need to collect certain personal data from you to ensure we are meeting our goals and responsibilities as a youth-serving nonprofit organization.

This Privacy Policy describes how Pennsylvania FIRST Robotics (“our,” “we,” “us,”) collects and processes personal data that users (“user,” “your,” or “you”) provide to us at any of our web sites where this Policy is posted (the “Sites”). This Privacy Policy also applies to personal data which Pennsylvania FIRST Robotics obtains by other means, as described below.

“FIRST” refers to the For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) Organization (https://www.firstinspires.org). Pennsylvania FIRST Robotics operates the FIRST Tech Challenge (“FTC”) program in Commonwealth of Pennsylvania on behalf of FIRST under the direction of the FIRST contracted FIRST Tech Challenge Program Delivery Partner.

Treatment of Data for Minor Youth

Youth under the age of 13 are not permitted to create accounts or provide personal data on our Sites. If we learn that we have personal data obtained directly from a child under 13 we will delete that data as soon as possible. If you believe we have collected data on a minor under age 13, notify us per section 15 of this policy and we will delete that data as soon as possible.

1. Agreement to the Policy

By accessing or using any of our Sites, you agree to be bound by all of the Sites’ terms and conditions including this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree to any of the Sites’ terms and conditions or this Privacy Policy, please do not access or use any of our Sites.  In the event you believe data was collected without your consent please see section 15 for instructions on how to contact us.

2. Personal data we collect

In the instances and for the reasons outlined in section 4 of this document, we collect the following personal data categories:

Name, email address, phone number, mailing address, Pennsylvania-required background checks (volunteers only), and your Internet Protocol (“IP”) address.

3. How do we collect the data

We collect data when you provide it to us directly or indirectly through a third party and by “cookies” (as described in section 8, below). You may provide certain data to us when you: (a) register for in person or virtual participation in any of our events; (b) apply for, or be nominated for, awards; (c) subscribe to our newsletter; (d) send e-mail messages; (e) submit forms; (f) transmit information by telephone or letter; (g) order products; (h) submit your credit card or other payment information; (i) access certain forms or request information on our Sites; (j) visit other points on the Sites that state that such information is being collected; (k) attend one of our event or activities; (l) complete a FIRST Consent and Release form; (m) complete a survey or evaluation; (n) make a donation to Pennsylvania FIRST Robotics, or (o) complete forms relating to medical or non-medical incidents.

When you engage in certain activities on any of our Sites, we may ask you to provide data by filling out and submitting an online form. Depending upon the activity, some of the data may be mandatory and some may be voluntary. If you do not provide the mandatory data with respect to a particular activity, you may not be able to engage in that activity.

4. How do we use the data

By entering personal data into our Sites or providing it to us (directly or indirectly through third parties), you agree to allow Pennsylvania FIRST Robotics to collect and use the data for the following purposes:

a. To improve our programs, products and services: Pennsylvania FIRST Robotics uses data to evaluate and improve our programs, understand whom we are serving, assess program impact, report aggregate/de-identified data, monitor growth, improve the delivery of FIRST programs, improve our product and service-offerings, customize and improve our Sites’ content, layout, and services, diagnose problems with our servers and software, and administer our Sites, often with the assistance of our vendors. Pennsylvania FIRST Robotics may use third parties to help implement, manage, and evaluate programs and efforts, and may share personal data with those third parties only for the purposes outlined in this Policy.

b. To improve quality and facilitate use of our Sites. Pennsylvania FIRST Robotics may use your personal data, including the information gathered as a result of site navigation and electronic protocols and cookies, to help create and personalize website content, improve website quality, track marketing campaign responsiveness, evaluate page response rates, conduct usability testing, and facilitate your use of our Sites (for example, to facilitate navigation and the login process, enhance security, and preserve order information between sessions).

c. For insurance purposes: Pennsylvania FIRST Robotics is required to collect and share information including name, address, phone number, guardian/parent name, date of birth, and details about the nature of the injurious event and care provided with our insurance company and with FIRST if you are injured while participating at any one of our events.

d. To register you as a Pennsylvania FIRST Robotics event participant or volunteer.

e. To manage events: We use personal data to identify your region for program participation, event registration, badging, volunteer management and general event management. Our Volunteer Coordinators and Event Managers may use personal data to manage events.

f. To process and administer Program awards: We may use your personal data to process and manage awards associated with the programs and events. Award applications may require personal information such as name and contact information and may be submitted by an individual or on behalf of an individual in the case of nominated awards (e.g., Woodie Flowers Award, Dean’s List Award, Volunteer of the Year Award).

g. To communicate with you: We use personal data to communicate with you about FIRST and Pennsylvania FIRST Robotics information and related opportunities.

h. To conduct marketing, promotional activities, and outreach to support the FIRST mission.

i. To process transactions: We use personal data to engage in interactions with you including to communicate with you about your registration status, payment of event registration, processing of sponsorship information, event information and to process orders, mail program related materials and items, and to collect registration fees or donations.

g. To provide support or other services: We use personal data to provide you with support or other services that you have requested. We may use your data to respond directly to your requests for information including registering for newsletters, registering a team for a Pennsylvania FIRST Robotics event, registering for trainings, professional development or webinars and any other specific requests you make directly of Pennsylvania FIRST Robotics. We may pass your data along to FIRST to respond to your request.

h. To solicit donations for Pennsylvania FIRST Robotics. We may use your personal data, including name, email and mailing address to solicit donations to support the FIRST mission.

i. To comply with our Youth Protection requirements: As a volunteer you may be required to provide specific background screening information. We use it to help ensure that it is appropriate for you to volunteer at one of our events as well as to meet Pennsylvania law requirements for volunteers having contact with children.

5. How long do we retain data

Pennsylvania FIRST Robotics will retain your data for as long as needed to fulfill the purposes and uses described in this Policy. If you wish to understand how to request your personal data be deleted, please refer to section 12 for more information.

6. How do we share data

Pennsylvania FIRST Robotics does not rent or sell data to others. We share personal data with FIRST, vendors, services providers, and other third parties (collectively, “Service Providers”) who are acting on our behalf to help operate our Sites, handle communications, implement, manage or evaluate our programs and events, or complete transactions you request.  

Except as otherwise provided in this Privacy Policy, Pennsylvania FIRST Robotics will keep your personal data private and will not share it with third parties, unless such disclosure is necessary to: (a) comply with the law or legal process served on us; (b) provide you the products, services and/or information that you may have requested; (c) protect our rights or property; (d) enforce our rights; (e) protect the interests of users of the Site or any other person; (f) operate or conduct maintenance and repair of our equipment; (g) detect, prevent and/or otherwise address fraud, security or technical issues, as authorized by law; and/or (h) otherwise comply with applicable laws.

7. How do we protect information

Pennsylvania FIRST Robotics uses technical and organizational measures to protect data including, but not limited to: conducting third-party security audits, firewalls, maintaining security patches on external systems, a log auditing system to identify breaches, and ensuring that all web connections are over HTTPS.  Your personal data resides on secure servers to which only select Pennsylvania FIRST Robotics personnel, volunteers, and Service Providers have secure access.

8. Cookies

When you use any of our Sites, we may store cookies on your computer in order to facilitate and customize the experience. A cookie is a small data text file, which a website stores on your computer’s hard drive (if your Web browser permits) that can later be retrieved to identify you to us.

Our cookies store randomly assigned user identification numbers, the country where you are located, and your log-in name to welcome you back to a Site. Our cookies: (a) make your use of our Sites easier; (b) make our Sites run more smoothly; (c) track authenticated users visiting our Sites; and (d) help us to maintain secure Sites.

You can at any time use your browser setting to delete our cookies from your system. We may use a third party to display information on our Sites. As part of the third-party service, they may place a separate cookie on your computer.  

9. Privacy Policies of Third-Party Sites

We may maintain links to other websites on our Sites. Links to alliances and sponsoring organizations are examples of these links. This Privacy Policy only applies to Pennsylvania FIRST Robotics.  Other sites accessible through our Site have their own privacy policies and data collection use and disclosure practices.  Please consult each site’s privacy policy.

10. How you can rectify incorrect information:

You have the ability to access and edit the personal data you provide to us. Data may be changed by requesting a change in writing.  Such requests in writing should be sent to privacy@pennfirst.org.

Please include your name, address, e-mail address, and/or phone number when you contact us regarding an update or correction to data.  We reserve the right to confirm your identity before updating or correcting personal data.  We encourage you to promptly update your personal data if it ever changes.

11. How you can object to certain uses of your data

If you do not wish to receive email from Pennsylvania FIRST Robotics you may “opt-out” of receiving these communications by exercising your right to “opt out” by using the unsubscribe feature on our website or sending us an e-mail at privacy@pennfirst.org.

12.  How you can exercise your right to be forgotten

You may request that your personal data at Pennsylvania FIRST Robotics be deleted, by emailing privacy@pennfirst.org. You may need to complete a request form and will need to provide information to confirm your identity at the time of your request.  We reserve the right to confirm your identity before taking any action to delete your data. Pennsylvania FIRST Robotics will assess each request to be forgotten on a case by case basis to determine the extent to which data can be deleted. Pennsylvania FIRST Robotics will comply with all requests to be forgotten except where Pennsylvania FIRST Robotics has a legal obligation to retain your data.

13.  Donor Privacy Policy

This section applies to all donor-related information received by Pennsylvania FIRST Robotics, both online and offline, from any donor.

Pennsylvania FIRST Robotics collects and stores donor information including name, address, email address, phone number, and donation amounts. Unless authorized by the donor, mandated by law or necessary for the processing and analyzing of donations, Pennsylvania FIRST Robotics will not share donor information with any other entity. If the donor notified us that the donor’s employer will match the donation and the donor requests that we reach out to obtain the matching gift, we may disclose the donor’s contact information (name, postal address, email address and telephone number) and donation information (donation amount and supported projects) to the employer. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of donors’ employers. For more information regarding the handling of information by an employer, please refer to the employer’s privacy policies. 

14. Changes to this Privacy Policy

We reserve the right to change this Privacy Policy at any time.  Such changes, modifications, additions, or deletions shall be effective immediately upon notice thereof, which may be given by means including, but not limited to, posting the revised Privacy Policy at any of our Sites. You acknowledge and agree that it is your responsibility to review the Site you are using and this Policy periodically, and to be aware of any modifications. Your continued use of a Site after any such modifications will constitute your; (a) acknowledgment of any modified Policy; and (b) agreement to abide and be bound by any modified Policy. To the extent that any modifications to this Policy materially alters how Pennsylvania FIRST Robotics will use information collected under prior version of the Policy, Pennsylvania FIRST Robotics will provide you notice by email using your email on file, and where required by law, will obtain your consent.

15.  How to contact us and how to lodge a complaint

The Pennsylvania FIRST Tech Challenge Program Delivery Partner, or their delegate, will lead investigative action, complaint handling and data breach notification. If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, the practices of any of our Sites, or your dealings with any of our Sites, contact us via email privacy@pennfirst.org or by sending a letter to:

Pennsylvania FIRST Robotics
120 Great Circle Rd
Landenberg, PA 19350

Or you may call us at (302)383-9925.