Privacy policy
How we handle the information families and volunteers share with us — and our commitments under COPPA.
Last updated: August 21, 2026
Steel City Codes ("Steel City Codes," "we," "us") is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides free computer science education to elementary and middle school students. Because we work directly with children, protecting their privacy is central to what we do. This policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and the choices families have.
Information we collect
We collect only what we need to run our programs safely:
- Registration information — a student's name, grade, and age, submitted by a parent or guardian when enrolling in a chapter, camp, or hackathon.
- Health and safety information — allergies or medical notes a family chooses to share so our volunteers can keep a child safe. This is visible only to assigned volunteers and administrators.
- Contact information — a parent or guardian's email, used for program updates and communication.
- Volunteer information — for high-school volunteers, contact details and relevant experience.
Registration and applications are handled through third-party forms (such as Google Forms). We do not collect payment information — donations are processed entirely by PayPal.
How we use information
We use the information above only to operate and improve our programs: to register students, staff sessions safely, communicate with families, and understand our reach. We do not sell personal information, and we do not use it for advertising.
Children's privacy (COPPA)
Our programs serve children under 13, so we follow the U.S. Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). We do not knowingly collect personal information directly from a child without a parent or guardian's involvement — enrollment is completed by a parent or guardian, who provides consent when they register their child.
A parent or guardian may, at any time, ask us to review the personal information we hold about their child, correct it, or delete it, and may withdraw consent to further use. To do so, email contact@steelcitycodes.org and we will respond promptly. We retain a child's information only as long as needed for the program the child is enrolled in, plus a reasonable period afterward, and then delete it.
How we share information
We share personal information only with the volunteers and administrators who need it to run a child's program, and with the service providers that help us operate (for example, form and email tools). We may disclose information if required by law or to protect the safety of a child or others. We never sell or rent personal information.
Third-party services
We link to and use trusted third-party tools — including Google Forms (registration and applications), PayPal (donations), and Devpost (hackathon submissions). When you use these services, their own privacy policies apply. We encourage you to review them.
Data security
We limit access to personal information to the people who need it and use reasonable measures to protect it. No method of transmission or storage is perfectly secure, but we work to safeguard the information families entrust to us.
Your choices and rights
Families may request access to, correction of, or deletion of their information at any time by emailing us. You can also unsubscribe from program emails using the link in any message.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time. We'll post the revised version here with a new "last updated" date.
Contact us
Questions about privacy, or requests about a child's information? Email contact@steelcitycodes.org. Steel City Codes is based in Pittsburgh, PA.