Privacy Policy.

01Introduction

Born to Invent is a national movement for young inventors, managed by Patent Prep Institute LLC (the "Institute," "we," "us," or "our") together with its affiliates and program brands, including Young Inventors of America, the Invention Lab, the Inventors Summit, and Patent Prep. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect through the Born to Invent movement and its Programs, how we use it, how we share it, and the choices you have. Because our Programs are designed for and used by minors, we give particular attention to children's privacy in Section 5.

02Information We Collect

Information you provide

• Identifiers: name, email, phone, mailing address, school, and grade.
• Participant details: age or date of birth, and parent/guardian contact information.
• Educational content: student submissions, inventions, essays, prototypes, presentations, applications, scholarship applications (including the Edison Scholarship), and project descriptions.

Information collected automatically

• Technical data: IP address, browser and device information, cookies, and usage analytics.

Payment information

Payments — including club fees, program tuition, and Summit registration — are processed by third-party payment providers. We do not store complete payment-card numbers.

03How We Use Information

We use information to administer and deliver the Born to Invent Programs, operate Young Inventors of America chapters, evaluate applications and scholarships, communicate with families and educators, provide mentorship and feedback, maintain safety and security, process payments, improve our services, and comply with legal obligations. We do not use a child's personal information for behavioral advertising.

04Legal Bases and No Sale of Personal Information

We process information to perform our agreement with you, with your consent (including verifiable parental consent where required), to comply with law, and for our legitimate educational and operational interests. We do not sell personal information, and we do not "share" it for cross-context behavioral advertising as those terms are defined under applicable U.S. state privacy laws.

05Children's Privacy (COPPA and Student Data)

Verifiable parental consent

Where we knowingly collect personal information from a child under 13, we first obtain verifiable parental consent through the enrollment process or a comparable method [DESCRIBE METHOD — e.g., signed agreement plus payment-card or email-plus-confirmation verification]. A parent may review the child's information, refuse to permit further collection or use, and request deletion.

What we collect from children and why

We collect only the information reasonably needed to run the Born to Invent Programs (such as the child's name, age, and submitted educational work). We do not condition a child's participation on disclosing more information than is reasonably necessary.

Parental rights

To review, correct, or delete a child's information, or to withdraw consent, contact us at invent@patentprep.org. We will verify the request before acting on it. Withdrawing consent may end the child's participation in the Programs.

Public images and showcases

Some Programs — including the Inventors Summit, chapter events, and scholarship announcements — publish or display student work, images, voices, testimonials, or accomplishments, or hold showcase events. We treat any public display of a child's image, voice, testimonial, or other personal information as a disclosure requiring affirmative parental consent. We obtain that consent through the opt-in Media and Publicity Consent in the Enrollment Agreement, where a parent chooses which uses (if any) to allow. Public or promotional use is optional and is never required for a child to enroll or participate. A parent may decline, or may withdraw consent for future use at any time, by emailing invent@patentprep.org.

06How We Share Information

We share information only as needed to operate the Born to Invent movement and its Programs, with: instructors, chapter leaders, and mentors; service providers and contractors (such as hosting, communications, and payment processors) bound to protect it; educational partners and affiliated Patent Prep Institute brands where you have consented; and legal authorities where required by law or to protect rights and safety. If Patent Prep Institute LLC ever undergoes a merger, acquisition, or asset sale, information may transfer as part of that transaction, subject to this Policy.

07Cookies and Analytics

We use cookies and analytics to operate and improve our websites and understand usage. You can manage cookies through your browser settings. We do not use cookies to serve targeted advertising to children.

08AI Tools and Educational Technologies

Some Programs use AI-assisted educational tools or third-party educational technologies to support instruction and feedback. We take reasonable steps to use providers that protect participant data, and we do not permit a child's personal information to be used to train third-party models without appropriate consent. Avoid submitting highly sensitive information unless specifically requested.

09Data Security

We implement commercially reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational safeguards to protect information. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

10Data Retention

We retain information only as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this Policy — to operate and administer the Born to Invent Programs, comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements — after which we delete or de-identify it. Specific retention periods vary by data type and legal requirement.

11Your Privacy Rights

Depending on where you live, you may have rights to access, correct, delete, or port your information; to opt out of certain processing; and to withdraw consent. To exercise a right, contact us at invent@patentprep.org. We will not discriminate against you for exercising these rights, and we will verify your identity before responding. Requests may be subject to legal limits and exemptions.

12International Data Transfers

Information may be processed in the United States or other jurisdictions that may have different data-protection laws. Where required, we use appropriate safeguards for such transfers.

13Third-Party Links

Our services may link to third-party websites. We are not responsible for their privacy practices, and we encourage you to review their policies.

14Changes to This Policy

We may update this Policy from time to time. For material changes, we will take reasonable steps to notify you. The "Last Updated" date reflects the current version.

15Contact