Terms of Service

Last Updated: 9/1/2025

Welcome to School Kudos, Inc. (“Company,” “we,” “our,” or “us”). These Terms of Service (“Terms”) govern your access to and use of our website, mobile applications, and services (collectively, the “Service” or “Platform”). By accessing or using the Service, you agree to these Terms and our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, do not use the Service.

1. Eligibility and User Roles

The Service is designed to celebrate school communities and share positive achievements with the public. Our platform connects schools with their broader communities through inspiring stories of student and staff success, organizational and team achievements, behind the scenes efforts toward goals, and related school events.

Users fall into three categories:

• Public Viewers (Unregistered Users) – Anyone may view and enjoy content on the Service without registering, helping schools share their success stories with the wider community.
• Registered Users – Community members who create accounts can engage with stories through reactions and likes, share content, and receive notifications about schools they follow. General Users are not able to comment on posts or stories.
• Registered Staff – Registered staff are able to interact as Registered Users and in addition, Staff are able to create and and send their own content and bypass approval from another party. Additionally, Staff are able to comment on posts.
• Authorized Organizers – Organizers are able to change settings for a school group, and Organizers are able to moderate content. As Moderators, Organizers will see pending posts, be able to edit, delete, and publish pending posts that were written by community members. Organizers will receive email notifications when a pending post has been created, notifying them to view and approve the post.
• Authorized Contributors – Community members authorized by schools to share positive news and achievements. Contributors work with schools to celebrate student success and may include: Faculty and staff, Students sharing their achievements, Parents highlighting community involvement, Coaches celebrating team accomplishments, Other school-approved community members.

While the platform may enable any registered user to suggest content, registered school accounts have the complete authority to determine which content and which accounts are approved for posting for public consumption.

1A. Eligibility to use service

By using the Service, you represent that:

• You are at least 13 years old; if under 18, you have parental/guardian consent
• You are using the Service to celebrate and share positive school community stories
• You will comply with these Terms and any applicable school policies

1B. Our Commitment to School Communities

We designed this platform specifically to celebrate student achievements and share positive school news with the broader community. By focusing exclusively on publicly appropriate content, we help schools share their success stories while maintaining full compliance with privacy laws and creating a safe, positive environment for celebrating educational excellence.

1C. Educational Records and Privacy Protection

Celebrating Public Achievements Only: This Service is designed exclusively for sharing positive, public-facing content that celebrates school community achievements. All content submitted to and displayed on the Platform focuses on information that schools are proud to share publicly without restriction.

Our Privacy-First Approach: School Kudos, Inc. does not access, collect, store, or process “education records” as defined under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 U.S.C. § 1232g). We focus exclusively on celebrating public achievements, not managing confidential student information.

What We Celebrate: Our platform is designed for sharing:

• Public achievements, awards, and recognitions
• Academic achievements, milestones, and noteworthy efforts and development
• Sports scores, team accomplishments, and athletic highlights and behind the scenes efforts and development
• Arts performances, academic competitions, extracurricular successes and behind the scenes efforts and development
• Staff achievements, milestones, and recognition
• School event announcements and community celebrations
• Positive news already suitable for local newspapers, school websites, or community newsletters
• Directory information that schools may publicly share under FERPA

What We Don’t Handle: We specifically do not collect or manage:

• Student academic records, grades, or transcripts
• Disciplinary records or behavioral assessments
• Special education records or individualized education programs (IEPs)
• Health or medical information
• Social security numbers or other sensitive identifiers
• Any confidential information from student files maintained by schools

School Partnership Approach: School Kudos, Inc. operates as an independent platform partner, not as a “school official” under FERPA. Schools retain full control over:

• Determining what achievements and news are appropriate to celebrate publicly
• Ensuring compliance with FERPA and other applicable privacy laws
• Managing any required parental communications or consents
• Verifying that shared content focuses on publicly appropriate celebrations

Our Promise to Schools: By using this Service, schools can confidently share their community’s successes knowing that:

• All content has been reviewed and approved for public celebration by a school official
• Our platform focuses only on positive, publicly appropriate achievements
• Schools maintain full control over their content and community representation
• We provide the technology while schools retain editorial and privacy responsibility

Nothwithstanding the above, we reserve the right to modify or delete content that does not meet the expressed guidelines expressed herein.

2. Accounts and Registration

Simple Registration for Community Engagement: To engage with school stories through reactions, receive updates about your favorite schools, or contribute content (if authorized), you can register for a free account, though an account is not required to view content.

Account Security Partnership: You help us maintain a safe community by keeping your account credentials secure and promptly reporting any suspicious activity. You’re responsible for all activities under your account.

Community Standards: We work with schools to maintain accounts that support positive community engagement. We may suspend or terminate accounts that violate these Terms, applicable laws, or community standards, always in partnership with relevant schools when appropriate.

2A. School Registration and Partnership

Establishing School Partnerships: Schools must complete our registration process to begin celebrating their community achievements on the platform. This ensures appropriate representation and maintains our commitment to educational excellence.

School Registration Requirements: To register as a participating school, authorized school representatives must:

• Verify official school status and authority to represent the school
• Designate primary administrators responsible for platform oversight
• Confirm compliance with applicable privacy laws and school policies
• Agree to maintain editorial responsibility for all published content
• Establish content approval workflows appropriate for their community

Authorized School Representatives: Only the following individuals may register schools and manage platform partnerships:

• Superintendents or their designated representatives
• Principals or assistant principals
• Communications directors or public information officers
• Other administrators with explicit authority to manage public communications
• School board members (where applicable)

Verification Process: We verify school partnerships through:

• Confirmation using official school email addresses and domains
• Documentation of the representative’s authority within the school system
• Verification of school accreditation and official status
• Confirmation of compliance with local and state educational requirements

School Administrator Responsibilities: Once registered, school administrators are responsible for:

• Managing contributor accounts and content approval processes
• Ensuring all published content complies with school policies and applicable laws
• Maintaining appropriate community representation and positive messaging
• Overseeing privacy compliance and parental communication requirements
• Training contributors on platform guidelines and community standards

Ongoing Partnership Management: Schools maintain active partnerships through:

• Regular content publication celebrating community achievements
• Responsive management of contributor accounts and community engagement
• Compliance with platform Terms of Service and community guidelines
• Participation in platform improvements and feature development
• Commitment to positive representation of educational communities

3. Content Submission and Celebration

a. Submission Permissions

Only school-authorized Contributors may submit content celebrating school achievements and community news. Schools determine who can share their community’s positive stories, ensuring appropriate representation of their achievements.

b. School Approval Workflow

All submitted content is reviewed and approved by schools or their designated representatives before publication. Schools serve as the sole publishers and editorial decision-makers for their content.

This school-controlled process enabled by our platform ensures that:

• Schools maintain complete editorial control over their content
• Content represents what schools choose to publish publicly
• Schools retain full responsibility for all editorial decisions
• School Kudos, Inc. provides neutral hosting technology without editorial input

School Kudos, Inc. operates as a neutral platform providing technical infrastructure. We do not participate in editorial decisions about specific content.

c. Content Ownership and Licensing

Publisher and Platform Roles: Schools retain complete ownership and publishing authority over their content. Contributors retain ownership of their original contributions. School Kudos, Inc. operates as a neutral hosting platform.

Comprehensive Platform License: By submitting content for school approval and publication, schools and contributors grant School Kudos, Inc. a worldwide, perpetual, irrevocable, royalty-free, transferable, sublicensable license to use, reproduce, distribute, prepare derivative works of, display, perform, and otherwise exploit the content in any manner and through any media, whether now known or hereafter developed, including the right to:

• Host, store, cache, and display content across all platform infrastructure and formats
• Distribute content through any current or future devices, platforms, and delivery methods
• Create derivative works, including edited versions, compilations, excerpts, and promotional materials
• Include content in platform functionality, features, advertising, and marketing materials
• Syndicate content to partner platforms, social media, and third-party distribution channels
• Use content for artificial intelligence training, platform improvement, and algorithm development
• Create promotional materials featuring content to attract new schools and users
• License content to third parties for platform-related purposes
• Monetize content through advertising, sponsorships, premium features, and other revenue streams
• Archive and preserve content for historical and operational purposes
• Translate, localize, and adapt content for different regions and languages

Commercial Use Rights: This license specifically includes the right to use content for commercial purposes, including but not limited to advertising revenue generation, premium service offerings, data analytics services, and platform licensing opportunities.

Survival and Transfer: This license survives termination of your account or these Terms and may be transferred in connection with any sale, merger, or transfer of School Kudos, Inc. or its assets.

d. Platform Content Policies

We maintain uniform content policies that apply to all users and content on our platform, regardless of source. We reserve the right to remove, decline, or restrict access to content that violates these Terms, applicable laws, or our platform policies.

Schools remain solely responsible for all editorial decisions about their content. School Kudos, Inc. applies technical and policy-based content moderation uniformly across the platform without participating in editorial decision-making about specific school content.

4. Community Standards and Content Guidelines

We work with schools to maintain a positive, safe environment for celebrating educational achievements. All content must support our mission of highlighting the best in school communities.

Content That Celebrates Our Mission: ✅ Student, staff and team achievements and recognitions ✅ Positive school events and community celebrations ✅ Academic competitions and accomplishments ✅ Arts performances and creative achievements ✅ Athletic accomplishments and team spirit ✅ Community service and leadership examples ✅ School pride and positive traditions

Content That Doesn’t Fit Our Mission: We don’t provide a platform for content that detracts from celebrating school communities, including:

Harmful or Inappropriate Content:

• Content promoting violence, self-harm, or dangerous activities
• Material that could endanger community members
• Instructions for illegal activities

Negativity and Harassment:

• Bullying, harassment, or intimidation of any community member
• Personal attacks or targeted negativity
• Sharing private information without consent

Discriminatory Content:

• Content that attacks individuals or groups based on protected characteristics
• Discriminatory language or imagery that divides communities
• Hate speech of any kind

Inappropriate Material:

• Sexually explicit content or inappropriate imagery
• Content that sexualizes minors in any way
• Material unsuitable for a family-friendly school environment

Legal Violations:

• Copyright infringement or unauthorized use of others’ work
• Trademark violations
• Any content that violates applicable laws

Misinformation and Inauthentic Behavior:

• Deliberately false or misleading information about achievements or events
• Impersonation of students, staff, or school officials
• Fake accounts or coordinated deceptive practices

Spam and Irrelevant Content:

• Repetitive or off-topic content
• Commercial spam unrelated to celebrating school achievements
• Content that disrupts the positive community experience

Platform Standards and School Responsibility: Schools maintain complete editorial control over their content while operating within our platform’s uniform Terms of Service. All content must comply with our platform policies, which are applied consistently across all users.

Schools work independently to ensure their approved content supports positive community representation and complies with applicable laws and regulations.

5. Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) Compliance

Protecting Creative Achievements: We respect the intellectual property rights of students, schools, and community members who create original content to celebrate their achievements.

Copyright Infringement Reporting: If you believe content on our platform infringes your copyright, please contact our Copyright Agent:

Copyright Agent: School Kudos, Inc.
Email: copyright@[yourcompany].com
Address: [Your Company Address]

Required Information for DMCA Notices:

• Your physical or electronic signature
• Identification of the copyrighted work you believe is infringed
• Identification of the allegedly infringing material and its location on our platform
• Your contact information (address, phone, email)
• A good faith statement that the use is not authorized by you, your agent, or the law
• A statement that your notice is accurate and you’re authorized to act on behalf of the copyright owner

Counter-Notification Process: If you believe content was removed in error, you may file a counter-notification including:

• Your physical or electronic signature
• Identification of the removed content and its former location
• A statement under penalty of perjury that removal was due to mistake or misidentification
• Your contact information and consent to legal jurisdiction in your location

Repeat Infringer Policy: We work with schools to address copyright concerns and will terminate accounts of users who repeatedly infringe copyrights, while working to preserve the positive community environment we’ve built together.

6. Advertising and Platform Sustainability

Supporting School Communities Through Sustainable Operations: All advertising and sponsorship opportunities are managed exclusively by School Kudos, Inc. to ensure appropriate, family-friendly content that supports our educational mission.

Community-Appropriate Advertising:

• All advertisements sold through our platform are reviewed for appropriateness in school community contexts
• We prioritize educational, family-friendly, and community-supportive advertisers
• Schools and Contributors focus on creating great content while we handle platform sustainability

Exclusive Platform Management: Unless otherwise approved by School Kudos, Inc., schools and Contributors may not sell or display separate advertising, sponsorships, or promotions outside of our managed advertising platform. This ensures consistent, appropriate advertising standards across all school communities.

7. Intellectual Property Partnership

Platform Technology: All platform technology, software, and design elements are owned or licensed by School Kudos, Inc.. This allows us to continuously improve the platform for all school communities.

Content Collaboration: While schools and Contributors retain ownership of their achievements and stories, our partnership allows us to share these celebrations effectively across the platform and with the broader community.

Respectful Use: Except for the content you contribute, you may not copy, distribute, reverse-engineer, or misuse our platform technology without written permission. This helps us maintain a stable, secure environment for all users.

8. Liability Limitations and Community Responsibility

a. Content Publisher Responsibility

Schools serve as the sole publishers of content they approve for the platform and assume complete responsibility for all editorial decisions. School Kudos, Inc. operates as a neutral hosting platform providing technical infrastructure.

School Kudos, Inc. disclaims all liability for user-generated content and school-published content, including claims related to accuracy, defamation, copyright infringement, privacy violations, or any other issues arising from content decisions made by schools or users.

As a platform provider, we do not exercise editorial control over specific content and are not responsible for content-related claims or disputes.

b. Community Partnership Indemnification

Schools, Contributors, and users agree to work with us in protecting our shared platform by holding harmless School Kudos, Inc. and its affiliates from claims, damages, or expenses arising from:

• Content submitted, approved, or published through your school’s partnership with us
• Violations of applicable laws, regulations, or third-party rights
• Breaches of these Terms or community standards
• Claims by students, parents, or community members related to approved content
• Regulatory investigations or enforcement actions related to your content
• Security issues resulting from your actions or account management
• Legal disputes arising from your use of the platform

This mutual protection arrangement continues even after your use of the Service ends, ensuring long-term community safety.

c. Platform Reliability and Service Limitations

Service Provided “As Available”: We work hard to provide reliable service for celebrating school achievements, but we provide the platform “as is” and “as available” without warranties of specific uptime, performance, or outcomes.

Limited Liability: Our liability for any platform issues is limited to direct damages only. We’re not liable for indirect, incidental, consequential, or punitive damages that might result from platform use.

Focus on Positive Impact: While we cannot guarantee perfect technical performance, we are committed to supporting school communities in sharing their achievements and maintaining a positive platform environment.

9. Account Management and Community Standards

Collaborative Account Management: We may suspend or terminate user access for violations of these Terms or community standards, often working with relevant schools to address issues constructively when possible.

School-Requested Changes: Schools may request deactivation or modification of a User account at any time, and we’ll work with them to ensure appropriate community representation.

Positive Resolution Focus: We prioritize resolving issues in ways that support continued positive community engagement while maintaining appropriate standards.

10. Dispute Resolution and Community Support

a. Mandatory Arbitration for Legal Disputes

IMPORTANT LEGAL PROVISION – PLEASE READ CAREFULLY

Collaborative Resolution First: We encourage resolving any concerns through direct communication with our support team and relevant school administrators when applicable.

Arbitration Agreement: For legal disputes that cannot be resolved collaboratively, you and School Kudos, Inc. agree that claims will be settled through binding arbitration rather than court proceedings, except as noted below.

Arbitration Process:

• Conducted by JAMS under its Comprehensive Arbitration Rules
• Held in the state of Michigan or via telephone/video conference
• Designed to be efficient and cost-effective for all parties

Exceptions to Arbitration: These disputes may be resolved in court:

• Claims for injunctive or equitable relief
• Intellectual property disputes
• Small claims court actions (under applicable monetary limits)

Individual Resolution: TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, YOU AND School Kudos, Inc. AGREE THAT DISPUTES WILL BE RESOLVED INDIVIDUALLY, NOT AS PART OF A CLASS ACTION OR REPRESENTATIVE PROCEEDING.

b. Content Appeals and Community Standards

Fair Review Process: If content is removed or accounts are suspended, you may appeal our decision through:

• Submitting an appeal through our support system within 30 days
• Providing context about why the action may have been incorrect
• Working with relevant school administrators when appropriate

We review appeals promptly and work toward resolutions that support positive community standards.

11. Artificial Intelligence and Platform Enhancement

Improving Community Experiences: We may use artificial intelligence and automated systems to enhance our platform:

• Analyzing content to ensure compliance with community standards
• Recommending relevant achievements and stories to community members
• Improving platform functionality and user experience
• Detecting spam, fraud, or inappropriate behavior

Learning from Community Success: Your interactions with achievements and stories may help us improve our recommendation systems and platform features, always in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

Transparency in Automation: We’re committed to using AI responsibly to support our mission of celebrating school communities while maintaining human oversight of important decisions.

12. Governing Law and Community Standards

Legal Framework: These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Michigan, U.S.A., providing a consistent legal framework for our community of schools and users.

Jurisdiction: Legal disputes must be resolved in the courts of Michigan unless otherwise prohibited by law or resolved through our arbitration process.

13. Terms Updates and Community Communication

Transparent Updates: We may update these Terms to better serve school communities or comply with legal requirements. We’ll provide reasonable notice of significant changes through:

• Email notifications to registered users
• Prominent notices on the platform
• Updates to our “Last Updated” date

Continued Partnership: Your continued use of the Service after updates constitutes acceptance of revised Terms, allowing us to maintain our community standards and legal compliance.

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Privacy Policy

Last Updated: 9/28/2025

1. Information We Collect – Celebrating Achievements Responsibly

Our Privacy-First Approach: We collect only information necessary to help schools celebrate their achievements and connect with their communities. We focus exclusively on publicly appropriate content and do not collect confidential education records.

Types of Information We Collect:

Account and Community Information:

• Name, email address, and school affiliation (when provided)
• User role (public viewer, registered community member, or authorized contributor)
• Communication preferences and notification settings
• Community interests and school following preferences

Achievement and Community Content:

• Positive stories, articles, and announcements celebrating school success
• Photos and media showcasing public achievements and events
• Community engagement through comments and reactions to celebrations
• Public recognitions, awards, and accomplishments
• Sports scores, event information, and extracurricular highlights
• Community service projects and leadership examples

Platform Interaction Data:

• How you discover and engage with achievement stories
• Device information, IP addresses, and browser data (for security and platform improvement)
• Usage patterns that help us recommend relevant school news and achievements
• Cookies and similar technologies for enhanced platform functionality

Community Communications:

• Support requests and feedback to help us serve school communities better
• Survey responses about platform improvements
• Communications with schools regarding content and community management

What We Specifically Do NOT Collect:

We are designed to celebrate achievements, not manage confidential information. We do not collect:

• Academic grades, test scores, or transcripts
• Disciplinary records or behavioral assessments
• Medical or health information
• Social security numbers or government identifiers
• Special education records or IEPs
• Confidential information from student education records maintained by schools
• Non-directory information requiring special parental consent

2. How We Use Information – Supporting School Communities

We use collected information exclusively to support our mission of celebrating school achievements and connecting communities:

Platform Operations and Community Building:

• Operate and continuously improve our celebration platform
• Enable community engagement through reactions, follows, and notifications
• Connect community members with relevant school achievements and news
• Facilitate positive communication between schools and their communities

Safety and Community Standards:

• Maintain community standards and platform security
• Protect against spam, fraud, and inappropriate behavior
• Ensure platform supports workflows and processes to enable schools to approve appropriate content content
• Enforce platform and community standards and guidelines

Sustainable Platform Development:

• Serve appropriate, family-friendly advertising that supports platform operations
• Analyze engagement patterns to improve how we celebrate achievements
• Develop new features that better serve school communities
• Ensure platform reliability and performance for all users

Legal and Community Compliance:

• Comply with applicable laws while supporting educational communities
• Respond to legal requirements and protect community safety
• Apply uniform platform policies without editorial involvement in school content decisions
• Support transparency and accountability in our platform operations

3. Sharing Information Responsibly

Our Commitment: We do not sell personal information. We share information only in ways that support school communities and platform operations.

With School Communities:

• Schools may access information about their community’s engagement with their content
• We provide schools with account management tools and technical support for their authorized contributors
• Schools receive insights about how their achievements are being celebrated
• We provide technical support for schools’ independent content management decisions

With Trusted Service Partners:

We share information with carefully selected service providers who help us operate the platform under strict confidentiality agreements:

• Cloud hosting providers for reliable platform operations
• Analytics services to understand community engagement
• Customer support platforms to serve schools and users better
• Security services to protect community data
• Payment processors for advertising and subscription services

Legal Requirements and Community Safety:

We may share information when required by law or to protect community safety:

• Legal subpoenas, court orders, or regulatory requirements
• Protecting against fraud, abuse, or safety threats
• Supporting law enforcement in appropriate circumstances
• Business transfers (with continued privacy protection commitments)

International Data Transfers:

Your information may be processed in countries other than your own. We ensure appropriate protection through:

• Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) approved by privacy authorities
• Adequacy decisions by relevant regulatory bodies
• Other appropriate safeguards required by applicable privacy laws

4. Your Privacy Rights – Community Member Control

We believe community members should control their own information. Depending on your location, you may have the following rights:

Universal Privacy Rights:

• Access: Request information about what personal data we have about you
• Correction: Update inaccurate or incomplete information in your account
• Deletion: Request removal of your personal information (subject to legal requirements)
• Communication Control: Manage email notifications and platform communications
• Account Management: Update your preferences and community following settings

Enhanced Rights by Location:

European Union (GDPR):

• Right to data portability (receive your data in a structured format)
• Right to restrict processing in certain circumstances
• Right to object to processing based on legitimate interests
• Right to withdraw consent where processing is based on consent

California (CCPA/CPRA):

• Right to know what personal information we collect and how it’s used
• Right to delete personal information (with certain exceptions)
• Right to opt-out of sale/sharing of personal information (note: we don’t sell information)
• Right to non-discrimination for exercising your privacy rights
• Right to correct inaccurate personal information

Virginia, Colorado, Connecticut, and Other States:

• Similar rights to access, delete, correct, and control your information
• Right to appeal our decisions regarding your privacy requests
• Protection against discrimination for exercising privacy rights

How to Exercise Your Rights:

Contact Methods:

• Email: corporate@schoolkudos.com

Response Timeframes: We respond to privacy requests within the timeframes required by applicable law (typically 30-45 days), often sooner for straightforward requests.

5. Data Security and Retention – Protecting School Communities

Security Measures:

We implement comprehensive security measures to protect the information of school communities:

Technical Safeguards:

• Encryption of data during transmission and storage
• Secure authentication systems and access controls
• Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments
• Automated monitoring for suspicious activities

Operational Safeguards:

• Employee training on data protection and privacy practices
• Background checks for staff with data access
• Incident response procedures for any security events
• Regular updates to security systems and practices

Physical Safeguards:

• Secure data centers with restricted access
• Environmental controls and backup systems
• Vendor security requirements and oversight

Data Retention – Balancing Community Needs:

We retain information only as long as necessary to serve school communities and comply with legal requirements:

• Account Information: Maintained while your account is active, then deleted within 30 days of account closure
• Achievement Content: Retained as long as it’s published or as required by legal obligations
• Community Engagement Data: Up to 2 years for platform improvement and community insights
• Support Communications: Up to 3 years to provide consistent community support
• Legal Compliance: As required by applicable laws and regulations

6. Children’s Privacy – Supporting Young Achievers Safely

Age-Appropriate Platform Design:

Our platform is designed to celebrate achievements across all school levels while providing enhanced privacy protections for younger community members.

COPPA Compliance (Under 13):

• We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 without parental consent
• When schools include younger students in achievement celebrations, they obtain necessary parental permissions
• We provide enhanced privacy protections for any content involving younger students

Teen Privacy (Ages 13-17):

• Enhanced privacy settings and parental communication options
• Limited data collection focused only on celebrating achievements
• No behavioral advertising targeting based on teen user data
• Additional safeguards for content involving minors

Educational Privacy (FERPA Compliance):

• Schools maintain responsibility for determining appropriate content for public celebration
• We provide technology while schools retain control over student information
• All content focuses on publicly appropriate achievements and celebrations
• Schools manage any required parental communications or consent processes

Parental Rights and School Collaboration:

• Schools are solely responsible for managing parental decisions on child inclusion in stories on the platform
• Parents may contact schools directly about their child’s inclusion in achievement celebrations
• Schools work with parents to ensure appropriate representation of student achievements

7. Cookies and Technology – Enhancing Community Experiences

How We Use Cookies and Similar Technologies:

Essential Platform Cookies:

• Required for basic platform functionality, including user authentication and session management
• Enable core community features like login, user profiles, and content interactions
• Support platform operations including activity feeds and member connections
• Store user preferences for platform settings and community engagement options
• Cannot be disabled without significantly affecting platform functionality
• Data remains on your device and is not transmitted back to Company or its partners

WordPress Core Cookies:

• Standard WordPress authentication and session management cookies
• Administrative interface functionality for authorized school contributors
• Content management and publishing workflow support
• Security features and spam protection

Analytics and Improvement Cookies (When Enabled):

• Help us understand how school communities use our platform
• Identify popular achievement categories and engagement patterns
• Support platform improvements and feature development
• Always used in aggregate, never to identify individual users

Community Preference Cookies:

• Remember your school following preferences and notification settings
• Personalize your experience with relevant achievement stories
• Enable customized views of community content and activity feeds
• Enhance your connection to school communities you care about
• Support member profile and activity preferences

Your Cookie Control Options:

Browser Settings:

• Most browsers allow you to block, delete, or manage cookies
• You can set preferences for different types of cookies
• Essential cookies from our technology partner BuddyBoss cannot be disabled without losing platform functionality

Platform Cookie Preferences:

• Manage optional analytics and marketing cookies through available preference settings
• Opt-out of non-essential tracking while maintaining core community functionality
• Update your choices at any time through your account settings (when available)

Note Platform Cookies: Functional cookies from our technology partner BuddyBoss are essential for platform operation and do not collect sensitive personal data. These cookies enable the community features that make our platform work and are not used for tracking or marketing purposes.

8. Advertising and Platform Sustainability

Community-Appropriate Advertising:

Our Advertising Philosophy: We may serve advertising from time to time. We serve advertising that supports our mission of celebrating educational achievements while maintaining platform sustainability.

Family-Friendly Standards:

• All advertisements are reviewed for appropriateness in school community contexts
• We prioritize educational, community-supportive, and family-friendly advertisers
• Advertising content aligns with our positive, achievement-focused mission

Privacy-Protective Practices:

• We use contextual advertising based on content topics, not personal profiles
• No behavioral advertising targeting for users under 18
• Transparent advertising practices with clear identification of sponsored content

Revenue and Community Support:

Sustainable Platform Operations:

• Advertising revenue supports platform development and community features
• Schools benefit from access to celebration and communication tools
• Community members enjoy ad-supported access to achievement stories
• Revenue model aligns platform success with community engagement and satisfaction

9. Data Breach Response – Protecting Our Community

Incident Response Commitment:

In the unlikely event of a data security incident, we are committed to transparent, swift action:

Immediate Response:

• Rapid investigation and containment of any security incident
• Assessment of potential impact on school community information
• Implementation of additional security measures as needed
• Coordination with law enforcement and regulatory authorities when appropriate

Community Notification:

• Prompt notification of affected community members as required by law
• Clear, understandable information about what happened and what we’re doing
• Specific guidance on steps community members can take to protect themselves
• Regular updates as we learn more and implement additional protections

Regulatory Compliance:

• Notification of relevant authorities within required timeframes
• Cooperation with regulatory investigations and requirements
• Implementation of additional safeguards based on lessons learned
• Transparent reporting about incident causes and prevention measures

10. International Privacy and Community Standards

Global Community, Local Compliance:

As we serve school communities across different regions, we comply with applicable privacy laws while maintaining consistent community standards.

Regional Privacy Frameworks:

• European Union: GDPR compliance for EU community members
• California: CCPA/CPRA compliance for California users
• Other U.S. States: Compliance with emerging state privacy laws
• International: Adherence to applicable local privacy requirements

Cross-Border Data Protection:

• Appropriate safeguards for international data transfers
• Privacy-protective contractual agreements with service providers
• Regular review of international privacy law developments
• Commitment to maintaining high privacy standards globally

11. Privacy Policy Updates and Community Communication

Transparent Communication About Changes:

Advance Notice for Material Changes:

• 30 days advance notice via email for significant privacy practice changes
• Prominent notices on the platform highlighting important updates
• Clear explanation of what’s changing and why
• Opportunity to review changes before they take effect

Community Input and Feedback:

• We welcome feedback about privacy practices and policy changes
• Regular review of community concerns and suggestions
• Commitment to maintaining privacy practices that serve school communities
• Transparency about how community feedback influences our policies

How We Notify You:

• Email notifications to registered community members
• Prominent announcements on the platform homepage
• Updates to our “Last Updated” date with change summaries
• Social media and community communication channels when appropriate

12. Contact Information and Community Support

Privacy Questions and Requests:

Privacy Team:
Email: corporate@schoolkudos.com
Response Time: Typically within 2-3 business days for general inquiries

Mailing Address:
School Kudos, Inc.
Attention: Privacy Officer
30700 Telegraph Road
Suite 3655
Bingham Farms, MI 48025

13. Legal Bases for Processing (GDPR Compliance)

For our community members in the European Union, we process personal information based on the following legal grounds:

• Consent: When you explicitly agree to processing (e.g., marketing communications, optional features)
• Contract Performance: To provide platform services and fulfill our Terms of Service commitments
• Legitimate Interests:
  • Platform improvement and community experience enhancement
  • Security, fraud prevention, and community safety
  • Business operations and school community communications
  • Platform sustainability through appropriate advertising
• Legal Obligation: Compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and legal requirements
• Vital Interests: Protection of health, safety, or other vital interests of community members

We always ensure that our legitimate interests are balanced against your privacy rights and freedoms.

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