Privacy Policy

1Introduction & Scope

This Policy covers information we collect from and about the people and organizations that interact with us — primarily schools, educators, parent-teacher organizations, parent committees, sponsors, and other adults who reserve or ask about the program, as well as visitors to our website. It also explains our limited handling of information relating to students, which we describe in Sections 5 through 7.

Our program and website are intended for use by adults acting on behalf of classrooms and groups. They are not directed to children, and children are not the intended users of our website.

2Who We Are

We provide a turnkey classroom time capsule program: we ship a kit and lesson materials, store the completed capsule in a climate-controlled facility for the storage term, and coordinate delivery to the destination high school for a senior-year opening. To do this, we collect the limited information described below. The data controller responsible for your information is Midwest Educational Services, LLC, located at PO Box 242, Towanda, KS 67042.

3Information We Collect

Information you provide to us

When you reserve the program, contact us, or correspond with us, you may provide:

• Contact details for the purchaser and designated contacts — name, email, phone;
• Organization details — school name and address, district, role (teacher, administrator, PTA/PTO, parent sponsor);
• Classroom details — teacher name and email, grade level, approximate number of students, school year of participation;
• Destination high school name and location (a best estimate that can be updated over time);
• Any notes, questions, or special circumstances you choose to share;
• Records-update information you send us over the years to keep contacts and the destination school current.

Payment information

Payments are processed by a third-party payment processor. We do not store full payment-card numbers. We may receive limited transaction details such as confirmation, the last digits of a card, billing name, and amount. Your payment is also subject to the processor’s own privacy practices.

Information collected automatically on our website

Like most websites, our site (hosted on a third-party platform) may automatically collect standard technical information, such as IP address, browser and device type, pages viewed, referring pages, and general location, using cookies and similar technologies. See Section 8.

Information about students

We collect only classroom- or group-level information needed to operate the program (for example, grade level and an approximate student count). We do not request or require individually identifiable student records to run the program. Capsule contents created by students are physical and sealed; we do not open, review, or digitize them unless you purchase the optional Digital Archive add-on (see Section 7).

4How We Use Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Process reservations and payments and confirm your order;
• Prepare and ship your kit and provide customer support;
• Log, track, and store your capsule, and maintain program records over the storage term;
• Contact you about your capsule, including reaching out as the delivery window approaches;
• Coordinate senior-year delivery with the destination school;
• Respond to your questions and requests;
• Maintain the security and integrity of our program and website;
• Comply with legal obligations and enforce our Terms & Conditions;
• With your consent where required, send program updates or marketing communications (see Section 14).

Because the program spans many years, we retain the records needed to deliver your capsule for the full storage term, as described in Section 11.

5Children’s Privacy (COPPA)

Our website and program are directed to schools and adults, not to children. We do not knowingly collect personal information online directly from children under 13 through our website. Children do not create accounts, complete the reservation form, or otherwise interact with our website.

Capsule activities are conducted in the classroom under the supervision of teachers and schools. Any personal information a student includes in their physical capsule materials is provided in a classroom setting, not collected by us online. The Sending School and the educators and families involved are responsible for obtaining any consents required for classroom activities.

If you believe a child has provided us personal information online without appropriate consent, please contact us at the address in Section 18 and we will take reasonable steps to delete it.

6Student Information & Schools (FERPA)

Where we work with a school, we act on the school’s behalf with respect to any limited student information involved, and only as needed to provide the program. We do not seek individually identifiable education records, and we do not use any student information for advertising or for purposes unrelated to delivering the program.

Schools are responsible for compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and applicable state student-privacy laws, including determining whether any disclosure to us fits an applicable exception and providing any required notices to families. We are happy to support a school’s privacy requirements and, where appropriate, to enter into a data-protection or student-data-privacy agreement.

7Capsule Contents & the Digital Archive Add-On

Standard program: capsules are sealed by the classroom and returned to us unopened. We store them as physical objects and do not open, inspect, photograph, or digitize their contents. We track them only by the classroom-level record and unique Capsule ID.

Optional Digital Archive add-on: if you purchase this add-on, we (or our service provider) scan selected capsule materials to create a secure digital backup that can be accessed at the senior-year opening. Where this add-on is used:

• Digital copies may include children’s drawings, writing, photographs, or similar materials;
• We store these digital files using access controls and reasonable security measures;
• We use them only to provide the archive service and the senior-year opening experience, not for marketing;
• Obtaining any parental or school consent appropriate for digitizing student materials is the responsibility of the Sending School and Customer.

8Cookies & Tracking Technologies

Our website may use cookies and similar technologies to operate the site, remember preferences, and understand how visitors use our pages. These may include strictly necessary cookies and analytics cookies provided by our website host or analytics tools.

You can usually control cookies through your browser settings; disabling some cookies may affect how the site works. If we use analytics or advertising cookies that require consent in your jurisdiction, we will provide an appropriate consent mechanism.

9How We Share Information

We share information only as needed to run the program and as described here:

• Service providers — companies that help us operate, such as our website host, payment processor, shipping carriers, storage facility, email/communications tools, and (if applicable) the Digital Archive provider. They may use information only to perform services for us.
• Destination schools — we share the limited information necessary to coordinate and complete senior-year delivery.
• Legal and safety — when required by law, to respond to lawful requests, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of any person.
• Business transfers — in connection with a merger, acquisition, financing, or sale of assets, consistent with this Policy and our Terms; we will seek to ensure obligations to store and deliver capsules are honored.

10We Do Not Sell Personal Information

We do not sell your personal information, and we do not share it for cross-context behavioral advertising. We do not use student information for advertising of any kind. If this ever changes, we will update this Policy and provide any opt-out required by law.

11How Long We Keep Information

Because we store and deliver capsules many years after they are created, we retain the records needed to fulfill that obligation — such as school, contact, destination-school, and capsule-tracking details — for the full storage term and for a reasonable period afterward to complete delivery, resolve issues, and meet legal and accounting requirements.

We keep other information only as long as needed for the purpose it was collected. When information is no longer needed, we take reasonable steps to delete or de-identify it. Undeliverable capsules are handled as described in our Terms & Conditions.

12How We Protect Information

We use reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect information against loss, misuse, and unauthorized access — including secure, climate-controlled physical storage for capsules and access controls for digital records. No method of storage or transmission is perfectly secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security. If we become aware of a security incident affecting your information, we will respond as required by applicable law.

13Your Privacy Rights & Choices

Depending on where you live, you may have rights regarding your personal information, such as the right to access, correct, delete, or receive a copy of it, or to object to or restrict certain processing. You may also have the right not to be discriminated against for exercising these rights.

To make a request, contact us at the address in Section 18. We will verify your request and respond as required by applicable law. Note that we may need to retain certain capsule-related records to fulfill an active storage-and-delivery obligation; we will explain if an exception applies to your request.

14Marketing Communications

We may send transactional messages about your reservation and capsule (for example, confirmations and delivery-window outreach); these are part of the service. With your consent where required, we may also send occasional program updates or marketing emails. You can opt out of marketing emails at any time using the unsubscribe link or by contacting us; opting out of marketing does not stop essential service messages about your capsule.

15Third-Party Links & Services

Our website or communications may link to third-party sites or services we do not control, such as a payment processor or a school’s website. This Policy does not apply to those third parties. We encourage you to review their privacy policies.

16Where Information Is Processed

We operate in the United States, and information we collect is processed and stored in the United States. If you contact us from outside the United States, you understand that your information will be handled in the United States under this Policy and applicable U.S. law.

17Changes to This Policy

We may update this Policy from time to time. When we do, we will revise the effective date above and post the updated Policy on this page. If we make material changes, we will provide additional notice as appropriate or as required by law. Your continued use of our website or program after an update means you accept the revised Policy to the extent permitted by law.

18How to Contact Us

If you have questions about this Policy or wish to exercise a privacy right, contact us at:

The Classroom Vault
Midwest Educational Services, LLC
PO Box 242, Towanda Kansas 67042
Email: info@theclassroomvault.com