🔒 Privacy Policy

1. Who We Are

Think4ge Academy is a private learning initiative providing online and in-person coding, mathematics, and AI education for children aged 4–21. We are operated by Samiksha Patel and based in Ontario, Canada.

This Privacy Policy applies to all information collected through our website (Think4ge Academy website), our contact form, and any direct communications with us.

If you have questions about this policy, please contact us at [email protected].

2. What Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Give Us Directly

When you fill out our contact form or reach out to us, we may collect:

• Your full name
• Your email address
• Your phone number (optional)
• Your child's first and last name
• Your child's age
• Program of interest and preferred session type
• Any message content you choose to share

2.2 Information We Do NOT Collect

We want to be clear about what we do not collect:

• Payment or credit card information (handled entirely by third-party processors)
• Government-issued identification numbers
• Information directly from children — all data is collected from parents or guardians only
• Sensitive personal information such as health records (unless voluntarily shared for safety purposes during in-person sessions)
• Browsing history, cookies, or tracking data from our website

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information you provide solely for the following purposes:

• To respond to your enquiry — replying to your message and discussing program options
• To schedule and deliver sessions — coordinating lesson times, sending session reminders, and sharing any relevant learning materials
• To send program updates — notifying you of new programs, schedule changes, or important announcements (you can opt out at any time)
• To issue certificate — personalising Think4ge Certificate of Achievement with your child's name
• To process waivers — for in-person or camp-based activities, collecting signed consent and emergency contact information
• To improve our programs — general feedback and progress notes (never shared externally)

We do not use your information for automated decision-making, profiling, or marketing to third parties.

4. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to any third party.

The only situations in which your information may be shared are:

4.1 Service Providers

We use the following third-party tools to operate our service. Each processes only the minimum data required:

• Formspree — processes contact form submissions and forwards them to our email. Their privacy policy is at formspree.io/privacy.
• Email (Gmail) — we use Gmail to communicate with parents. Google's privacy policy applies to messages stored in Gmail.

4.2 Legal Requirements

We may disclose information if required by law, court order, or to protect the safety of a child — for example, if we become aware of a child protection concern.

4.3 Business Transfer

In the unlikely event that Think4ge Academy is transferred or reorganised, any data held would be disclosed to the new operator — and you would be notified in advance.

5. Children's Privacy

We take children's privacy extremely seriously. Think4ge Academy serves children aged 4–21, and we are committed to complying with applicable laws regarding minors' data.

• All personal information about children is collected only from a parent or legal guardian — never directly from the child.
• We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 without verifiable parental consent.
• Children's names and ages are used only to personalise their learning experience and issue certificate.
• If you believe we have inadvertently collected information from a child without appropriate consent, please contact us immediately and we will delete it.

6. How Long We Keep Your Data

We keep your information only for as long as necessary:

• Enquiries that did not become enrolments — deleted after 12 months of no contact
• Active student records — retained for the duration of the program plus 2 years (for reference and certificate purposes)
• Invoices and payment records — retained for 7 years as required by Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) guidelines
• Waivers and consent forms — retained for 3 years after the last activity

You may request earlier deletion at any time (see Section 8).

7. How We Protect Your Data

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your information:

• All form submissions are transmitted via HTTPS encryption (Formspree)
• Our email communications use Gmail's security infrastructure
• We do not store your personal data in spreadsheets or unsecured local files
• Access to your information is limited to Think4ge Academy staff only
• We do not store payment card details — payments are handled by secure third-party processors

While we take every reasonable precaution, no online system is completely immune from security risks. If you believe your data has been compromised, please contact us immediately.

8. Your Rights (PIPEDA)

As a resident of Canada, you have rights under the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA). You have the right to:

• Access — request a copy of the personal information we hold about you or your child
• Correction — ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information
• Deletion — request that we delete your data, subject to any legal retention obligations
• Withdraw consent — withdraw your consent to our use of your data at any time (this may affect our ability to provide the service)
• Complaint — file a complaint with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada if you believe your rights have been violated

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at [email protected]. We will respond within 30 days.

9. Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to external sites — including Scratch.mit.edu, GitHub, and other educational platforms. This Privacy Policy does not apply to those sites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party sites your child uses as part of their program.

10. Online Session Policy

Our online sessions are conducted via video conferencing platforms (such as Zoom or Google Meet). Please note:

• Sessions are not recorded by default
• If recording is ever required (e.g. for a missed session), explicit written consent will be obtained from the parent or guardian in advance
• The video conferencing platform's own privacy policy applies during sessions
• We recommend parents supervise or be accessible during online sessions with younger children (ages 4–7)

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time — for example, if we add new programs, tools, or services. When we make significant changes, we will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page.

We encourage you to review this page periodically. Continued use of our services after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

12. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or how we handle your personal information, please contact us: