Protecting children's privacy is especially important to us - we're educators ourselves and understand the critical importance of maintaining student privacy and safety in educational technology platforms. As a classroom management and gamification platform designed specifically for educational environments, Classroom Hero is committed to implementing robust privacy protections for all student users.

While Classroom Hero is currently in the process of pursuing formal privacy certifications, we have designed our platform with COPPA compliance as a fundamental principle from the ground up. Our data collection practices, parental consent procedures, and student privacy protections are structured to meet and exceed COPPA requirements, ensuring that children's personal information is handled with the utmost care and security.

Classroom Hero is committed to responsible stewardship, protection, and transparent handling of student personal information. We believe in providing clear, understandable information to parents, teachers, and school administrators about how we collect, use, and protect student data within our gamification platform.

For more information about COPPA and generally protecting children's online privacy, please visit OnGuard Online.

We have also prepared a Student Data Privacy Addendum, an agreement we enter into with schools and teachers, that further describes our duties, responsibilities, and commitments with respect to Student Data that we collect or receive through our classroom management platform.

This Children's Privacy Policy explains our information collection, disclosure, and parental consent practices with respect to information provided by children, and uses terms that are defined in our general Services Privacy Policy. For our full Services Privacy Policy please see here. Any terms not defined in this Children's Privacy Policy are defined in the Services Privacy Policy. This policy is in accordance with the U.S. Children's Online Privacy Protection Act and its implementing regulations under the Children's Online Privacy Protection Rule (collectively "COPPA").

Classroom Hero extends the U.S-based COPPA consent protections in all jurisdictions, even if not required. If we rely on other legally applicable grounds for processing children's personal information (e.g. if we rely on legitimate interest in the European Union and the United Kingdom when acting as a Controller), we will still use the FTC COPPA consent methods described to provide further transparency for parents.

Important Note for Parents and Educators: Classroom Hero operates as a teacher-controlled platform where students cannot create accounts independently. All student accounts are created and managed through teacher-provided classroom codes, ensuring that appropriate educational oversight is maintained at all times. Students access the platform exclusively through their teacher's classroom, providing an additional layer of protection and supervision.

Our Commitment to Student Privacy:

• We do not collect demographic information about students
• Student data is retained only as long as teachers maintain their accounts
• Teachers have full control over student data and can delete individual student records or entire classes at any time
• We use secure, anonymized identifiers to protect student identity
• All data transmission is protected using SSL encryption
• We do not share student data with third parties for commercial purposes

Basically,
Classroom Hero is designed with COPPA compliance as a core principle, implements comprehensive student privacy protections, and extends U.S.-based COPPA consent protections to all jurisdictions, even where not required. Our platform operates under direct teacher supervision with robust controls for data management and deletion.

What information does Classroom Hero collect from Children?

We collect two types of information from children: (1) information collected from children, including information that children voluntarily provide us by using the Services (described below under "Information Children Provide to Us") and information about children from their educator as described below under the "Information Collected About the Child from Educators Combined with Children's Data" section; and (2) information collected automatically as result of children's use of the Services (described below under "Information We Collect Automatically").

The statements we make regarding the information we collect from or about students using Classroom Hero through a Student Account, and how we use this information applies equally to all students regardless of their age. Accordingly, where this Privacy Policy references students or any information collected from or about students, it applies to students under 13 years old and over 13 years old.

Information Collected From Children

Classroom Hero collects the minimum amount of information from students necessary to register for an account on the Service. Additionally, Classroom Hero will not condition a child's participation in an online activity on the Service on the child providing more personal information than is reasonably necessary to participate in the Service. If we discover that we have collected information from a child in a manner inconsistent with COPPA, we will take appropriate steps to either delete the information or immediately seek the parent's consent for that collection. This information is necessary to enable us to comply with legal obligations and given our legitimate interest in being able to provide and improve the Service and for security and safety purposes.

We collect information from children in the following ways:

Student Accounts

Student Account Creation

Currently, Student Accounts are created exclusively by the student's teacher. Students cannot create accounts independently and must use teacher-provided classroom codes to access the platform.

By the student's teacher: When a student's teacher elects to utilize Student Accounts in their classroom, the school will be responsible for providing parental consent under COPPA. Teachers may provide parental consent through what is commonly referred to as "school consent" under COPPA, where teachers have certified that they are acting as the agent of the parent and consenting on the parent's behalf to create the Student Account on behalf of the student and let students use the Service for educational purposes. For clarity, while it is Classroom Hero's obligation to comply with COPPA as a whole, we rely on schools to provide consent under COPPA by acting as the agent of the parent, but only after providing the school with the required notices set forth here. For more information on "school consent" under COPPA, please see the FTC's FAQ Section N as well as the FTC's Policy Statement on Education Technology and COPPA.

The teacher will provide the student's name to set up the account. We don't ask students to enter any other personal information for their account registration when a teacher sets up their account. Students access their accounts exclusively through unique classroom codes provided by their teachers.

Student Account Access and Security

Students log into their accounts using teacher-provided classroom codes. After inputting a Class Code, students select their student record from their teacher's roster. Students may optionally set a 4-digit account code to prevent other students from accessing their account, though teachers can override this security measure when necessary. To maintain login sessions, we generate temporary JWTs (JSON Web Tokens).

Student Activities and Engagement

Points and Rewards System

Students earn points through teacher-defined "Actions" - rewards for behaviors or achievements that teachers specify (such as reading aloud in class, raising hands, completing homework, etc.). The points students earn use a custom virtual currency that teachers define when creating their class. Teachers track why and when students were rewarded through the Action system.

Students can spend their earned classroom currency by purchasing items from their teacher's virtual Marketplace. Items may be configured for immediate purchase by students, manual sale by teachers, or as "request to buy" where students submit purchase requests requiring teacher approval.

Power Tokens and Avatar System

Students earn up to 15 Power Tokens per day (or 50 depending on the teacher's pricing plan). Power Tokens are a separate Classroom Hero currency used exclusively for purchasing avatar accessories for their virtual avatar. Students can customize their avatar's skin tone, hair, clothing, accessories, headgear, shoes, and other appearance features.

Students can take "selfies" of their avatars (screenshot functionality) and can view other students in their class, seeing only names and avatars. A daily point claim feature allows students to earn one avatar token per day.

Quiz and Assessment Features

Students may complete AI-generated quizzes created by their teachers to earn both classroom currency and Power Tokens. We collect quiz completion data and scores, which are viewable by teachers. Students earn rewards for completing these educational assessments.

Open-World Game (Mysteria)

Students have access to an optional open-world web-based game called "Mysteria" where they can explore and search for treasure chests to earn additional Power Tokens. Teachers can enable or disable this game feature at any time, and it defaults to disabled. We collect data about treasure chests found, game progress, and maintain a classroom-only leaderboard showing which students have discovered the most treasure chests. The leaderboard displays avatars rather than student names.

Information Collected from Educators Combined with Children's Data

While not collected directly from the child, teachers, School Leaders, and authorized members of the school staff may provide the personal information set forth below about a child which we will link or combine with the information listed above that we collect from the child.

Teachers and School Leaders about students:

Basic Information: The child's first and last name may be provided by teachers when setting up their class. Teachers can choose to provide full names or opt to only provide non-identifying information (e.g., just first name and seat number). We do not collect demographic information such as age, date of birth, or grade level.

Points and Actions: Points awarded to children by teachers through the Action system, including the reason for the reward and when it was given. These points can only be viewed by the child, the child's teacher (who awarded them), and School Leaders. If the teacher chooses to display totals to the class, other students in the class may be able to see each other's aggregated totals (but not individual feedback points).

Marketplace Transactions: Records of items purchased by students from the teacher's virtual marketplace, including what was purchased and when, to maintain accurate point accounting and transaction history.

Class Goals and Progress: Information about long-term class objectives and student participation in achieving these goals.

Artificial Intelligence ("AI") Tools: Teachers may use AI-powered tools to generate quizzes, assignments, and other educational content. When students complete these AI-generated activities, we collect completion data, responses, and performance metrics. Teachers may also use AI tools for administrative tasks like generating class lists or organizing student information.

Information We Collect Automatically

In addition to the information listed above, we automatically collect some information from any use of our Service as set forth below.

The device and application related data is collected from the device and application being utilized to give the child access to Classroom Hero accounts.

This includes:

Device information: We collect device-specific information such as your child's device type, device brand, operating system, hardware version and settings, device settings, file and software names and types, battery and signal strength, device tokens (to send push notifications) and device identifiers (including unique device IDs). We may also collect device event information such as crashes, system activity, browser type, browser language, the date and time of your child's request and referral URL. This helps us measure how the Service is performing, improve Classroom Hero for your child on their particular device, and send push notifications if you've opted in to receive them.

Server log information: Like most online services, when your child uses our Service we automatically collect and store certain information in our server logs. Examples include things like IP address and details of how the Service was used, such as activity on the Service. We may use IP address information to help diagnose problems with our servers, for security purposes, and to manage the Service. We automatically delete IP addresses tracked in server logs after six months.

Product events: As children interact with the product, we collect product events about how the product is being used, which features are used, which buttons are clicked, load time, etc. These include events such as points earned, treasure chests found in Mysteria, avatar customizations made, quiz completions, and marketplace purchases. These are collected to provide the Services, including for internal analysis on product usage and quality. Our product event logs may also include unique device IDs and IP addresses. We automatically delete IP addresses tracked in product logs after six months.

Local storage: We may use temporary JWTs (JSON Web Tokens) to maintain student login sessions. We do not store any student data in the browser's LocalStorage.

Analytics Data: We anonymously push basic usage data to analytics services (PostHog and Google Analytics) to improve the Classroom Hero platform. This data is anonymized and does not include personally identifiable information.

Data We Do NOT Collect

• Demographic Information: We do not collect age, date of birth, grade level, gender, or other demographic information about students.
• Academic Performance Data: We do not collect official grades, test scores, or academic performance data required by schools or districts. Our quiz system is separate from official academic assessments.
• Location Data: We never request precise geolocation data from students and no student location data is made publicly available.
• Social Security Numbers or Government IDs: We do not collect any government-issued identification numbers.
• Payment Information: Students cannot make any payments through the platform.

Basically,
We don't ask for or require children to provide personal information beyond that which is reasonably necessary to use Classroom Hero. We collect only the minimum information needed to provide our gamification and classroom management services, with strong emphasis on teacher control and student privacy protection.

How does Classroom Hero use information it collects from Students?

First and foremost, you should know that Classroom Hero does not sell or rent any of your child's personal information to any third party for any purpose – including for advertising or marketing purposes. Information collected from students (including personal information and information collected automatically) is never used or disclosed for third-party advertising. We also do not place any third-party advertisements in student logged in areas of the Service. Additionally, personal information collected from students is never used for behaviorally-targeted advertising to students by us or any third-party.

We also offer a Student Data Privacy Addendum, an agreement we enter into with schools or districts that further describes our duties, responsibilities, and commitments with respect to Student Data that we collect or receive and may further limit our uses of Student Data from the uses set forth in the Children's Privacy Policy.

Classroom Hero commits that its collection, use, retention, and sharing of personal information shall be reasonably necessary and proportionate to achieve the purposes for which the personal information was collected or processed and for the purposes disclosed in this Children's Privacy Policy and that the personal information will not be further processed in a manner incompatible with these purposes.

Our uses of your child's personal information are set forth below:

Primary Uses

We use the information we collect from students (or about students from teachers and School Leaders):

To provide and improve the Service for the child, including:

• Managing student accounts and classroom access through teacher-provided codes
• Tracking and displaying student points earned through teacher-defined Actions
• Enabling student purchases from teacher-created virtual marketplaces
• Providing avatar customization features and Power Token management
• Operating the optional Mysteria open-world game for treasure hunting activities
• Delivering AI-generated quizzes and educational content created by teachers
• Maintaining classroom leaderboards and progress tracking
• Sending in-app notifications to your child (e.g., notify of sold items, actions completed)

For educational purposes, including:

• Supporting teacher-defined reward systems and classroom management
• Enabling gamification features that encourage student engagement
• Providing progress tracking for educational activities and achievements
• Supporting Class Goals and collaborative classroom objectives

For internal analytics on product usage:

• Understanding how students interact with the platform to improve functionality
• Analyzing feature usage to enhance the educational experience
• Measuring platform performance and user engagement
• Anonymized data analysis to improve our services (sent to Google Analytics)

To identify, fix, and troubleshoot bugs and Service errors:

• Debugging technical issues students may experience
• Improving platform stability and performance
• Ensuring smooth operation across different devices and browsers

For security and safety purposes, including:

• Enforcing our Terms of Service
• Protecting student accounts from unauthorized access
• Monitoring for inappropriate content or behavior in the Mysteria game
• Maintaining secure login sessions through temporary JWT tokens
• Preventing abuse of the avatar and marketplace systems

• To comply with legal process or other laws
• As allowed by law

AI Uses

Teacher-Generated AI Content

Students interact with AI-generated content in a limited, controlled manner through teacher-created quizzes and educational activities. Students do not directly input information into AI systems – they only respond to AI-generated content that teachers have created specifically for their classroom.

Student Interaction with AI-Generated Content:

• Students can complete AI-generated quizzes created by their teachers
• Student responses and completion data are collected to track educational progress
• Students earn classroom currency and Power Tokens for completing these educational activities
• Quiz performance data is shared with teachers for educational assessment purposes

Teacher AI Tools (Impact on Students): Teachers use AI Classroom Tools to generate educational content including quizzes, assignments, and other learning materials. When teachers create this content:

• AI-generated quizzes and assignments are delivered to students through the platform
• Student completion data and responses are collected and provided to teachers
• This information helps teachers assess student understanding and progress
• Data obtained from student interactions with AI-generated content may be used by Classroom Hero to improve and maintain the Service and perform internal analysis

For AI tools used by teachers, we currently use OpenAI and Anthropic as our LLM service providers ("LLM Service Providers"). Any student information that may be included in teacher-generated AI content is handled with "zero data retention" by these providers beyond transient processing to provide the Service. This means that any student information in prompts, inputs, and outputs (1) will not be logged for human review by the LLM Service Providers and (2) will not be retained by the LLM Service Provider.

Important AI Limitations for Students:

• Students do not directly interact with AI tools or provide inputs to AI systems
• Students cannot generate their own AI content
• All AI-generated content students see has been created and approved by their teachers
• Student personal information is not used to train any AI models

Classroom Hero does not use any children's personal information to train any of Classroom Hero's artificial intelligence models, but does reserve the right to use de-identified information. Additionally, Classroom Hero does not allow OpenAI, Anthropic, or any other LLM or AI third-party service provider it may utilize to use any children's information (personal information or de-identified) to train, improve or develop their artificial intelligence models.

Data Processing Principles

• Teacher Control: All student data usage is controlled by teachers and school administrators. Teachers can delete student records, classes, or entire accounts at any time.
• Educational Purpose: All data usage is focused on supporting educational activities and classroom management within the teacher's defined learning environment.
• Minimal Collection: We collect only the minimum information necessary to provide our gamification and classroom management services.
• No Commercial Use: Student data is never used for commercial purposes, marketing, or advertising.
• Anonymization: When possible, we use anonymized identifiers and aggregate data rather than personally identifiable information.

Basically,
Information collected from students is never used or disclosed for third-party advertising or any kind of behaviorally-targeted advertising, and it is never sold or rented to anyone, including marketers or advertisers. Student data is used exclusively to provide our educational gamification platform, with strong teacher control and oversight.

Classroom Hero provides AI-generated educational content through teacher-created quizzes and assignments. Students interact with this AI-generated content in a controlled, supervised manner, but do not directly provide inputs to AI systems. All AI-generated content is created by teachers for educational purposes within their classrooms.

Push Notifications

Classroom Hero may send in-app notifications to students through our web-based platform. Important Note: Students cannot sign into our mobile apps and will never receive push notifications on mobile devices. All notifications are delivered exclusively as in-app notifications when students are actively using the Classroom Hero platform through their web browser.

Before sending any in-app notifications to a child, we rely on teachers to provide necessary parental consent under COPPA (acting as the agent of the parent and consenting on their behalf) when they set up the child's Student Account. Since all Student Accounts are created exclusively by teachers using our classroom management system, parental consent for in-app notifications is obtained through the school consent process.

Types of In-App Notifications

We send in-app notifications to students in the following circumstances:

Reward Notifications: When a student completes a teacher-defined Action and earns points, they receive an in-app notification confirming their reward and the points earned.

Marketplace Notifications: When a teacher sells an item to a student from the virtual marketplace, or when a teacher approves a student's "request to buy" purchase, the student receives an in-app notification confirming the transaction.

Achievement Notifications: Students may receive in-app notifications for reaching certain milestones, such as leveling up, finding treasure chests in the Mysteria game, or earning Power Tokens.

Class Goal Updates: Students may receive notifications about progress toward Class Goals or when Class Goals are achieved.

These in-app notifications are designed to enhance student engagement with the educational gamification features and provide immediate feedback on their classroom activities and achievements.

Teacher and School Control

Teachers maintain full control over student notifications and can:

• Adjust notification settings for their classroom
• Turn off specific types of notifications if desired
• Monitor and manage how students receive feedback through the platform

Since all notifications are delivered through our web-based platform during active use, students will only see these notifications when they are logged into Classroom Hero through their teacher's classroom code.

Opting Out of Notifications

If you are a teacher, school administrator, or parent of a child and no longer want these in-app notifications to be sent, you can:

• Contact the child's teacher to adjust classroom notification settings
• Contact us directly at [privacy@classroomhero.com] to discuss notification preferences
• Teachers can modify notification settings through their dashboard at any time

Device and Platform Limitations

Unlike traditional push notifications that appear on mobile devices even when apps are closed, Classroom Hero's in-app notifications:

• Only appear when students are actively using the platform
• Are delivered through the web browser interface
• Do not require device-level notification permissions
• Cannot be sent to mobile devices since students cannot access mobile apps
• Do not collect or store device tokens for push notification services

Basically,
Classroom Hero sends in-app notifications only through our web-based platform when students are actively using the service. Students cannot access mobile apps and will never receive mobile push notifications. All notifications are controlled by teachers through the school consent process under COPPA, and teachers can adjust or disable notification settings at any time. Parents can contact us or their child's teacher to modify notification preferences.