Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

The Genius Project ("we", "us", or "our") is a non-profit organisation based in Kingston, Jamaica. We are committed to protecting the privacy of everyone who visits our website at beagenius.org or participates in our programmes.

This Privacy Policy explains what personal information we collect, why we collect it, how we use it, and what rights you have in relation to it. We handle all personal data in accordance with Jamaican law and, where applicable, the principles of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

By using our website or registering for a programme, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this policy. If you have questions, contact us at info@beagenius.org.

2. Information We Collect

We collect personal information in two ways: information you give to us directly, and information we receive automatically when you use our website.

Information you provide directly:

• Name: provided when you fill in a contact, registration, or newsletter form.
• Email address: provided when you register for an event, apply to a programme, or subscribe to our newsletter.
• Phone number: optionally provided on registration or contact forms.
• Location (parish): optionally provided to help us understand where our community members are based.
• Age group: optionally provided to help us tailor programme communications.
• Questions or special requirements: any information you include in open text fields on our forms.

Information collected automatically:

• Usage data: pages visited, time on site, referral source, browser type, and device type, collected via Google Analytics.
• IP address: logged automatically when you visit our site, and used in anonymised form by our analytics provider.
• Cookies: small files stored on your device. See Section 7 for details.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the personal information we collect for the following purposes:

Purpose	Data used	Legal basis
Programme administration (enrollment, scheduling, follow-up)	Name, email, phone, age group, parish	Legitimate interest / contract performance
Event registration and confirmation	Name, email, phone, event selected	Legitimate interest / consent
Newsletter and event notifications	Email address	Consent (opt-in)
Responding to contact form enquiries	Name, email, message content	Legitimate interest
Understanding how people use our website	Anonymised usage data via Google Analytics	Legitimate interest
Improving our programmes and communications	Aggregated, anonymised feedback and usage data	Legitimate interest

We do not use your personal information for automated decision-making or profiling that produces significant effects on you.

4. Data Sharing

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

We share data with third-party service providers only where necessary to operate our website and programmes. These providers process data on our behalf and are required to handle it securely and in accordance with applicable law:

• Netlify (netlify.com): We use Netlify to host our website and process form submissions. When you submit a form, the data is transmitted to and stored by Netlify. Their privacy policy is available at netlify.com/privacy.
• Google Analytics: We use Google Analytics to understand how visitors use our website. Google Analytics collects anonymised usage data. We have enabled IP anonymisation. Google's privacy policy is available at policies.google.com/privacy.
• Google Fonts: Our website loads fonts from Google's servers, which may log your IP address when fonts are fetched.

We may also disclose personal information if required to do so by law, or in connection with legal proceedings.

5. Data Retention

We retain personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes outlined in this policy, or as required by law.

• Form submissions and programme enrollment records: retained for up to 3 years after your last interaction with us.
• Newsletter subscriber data: retained until you unsubscribe.
• Anonymised analytics data: retained for up to 26 months (Google Analytics default).

When we no longer need your data, we delete or anonymise it securely. You can request earlier deletion at any time. See Section 6 for your rights.

6. Your Rights

Depending on your location and applicable law, you may have the following rights in relation to your personal information. We will respond to all valid requests within 30 days.

• Right to access: You can request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
• Right to correction: You can ask us to correct any personal information that is inaccurate or incomplete.
• Right to deletion: You can ask us to delete your personal information. We will do so unless we are required to retain it by law.
• Right to opt out: You can unsubscribe from our newsletter or marketing communications at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in any email, or by contacting us directly.
• Right to object: You can object to our processing of your data where we rely on legitimate interest as the legal basis.
• Right to data portability: Where technically feasible, you can request your data in a structured, machine-readable format.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at info@beagenius.org with your name and the nature of your request.

7. Cookies

Our website uses cookies: small text files stored on your device that help the site function and allow us to understand how people use it.

We use the following types of cookies:

• Strictly necessary cookies: Required for the website to function. These cannot be disabled. They do not collect personal information.
• Analytics cookies: Set by Google Analytics to collect anonymised information about how visitors use our site. This helps us improve our content and structure.

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Most browsers allow you to block or delete cookies. Note that blocking certain cookies may affect how the website functions.

We do not use advertising cookies or third-party tracking cookies for commercial targeting.

8. Children's Privacy

Many of our programmes serve young people, including participants under 18 years of age. We take the protection of children's privacy seriously.

• We collect personal information about minors only with verified parental or guardian consent.
• Where a registration form is completed on behalf of a minor, the parent or guardian is responsible for providing accurate information and for ensuring the minor understands how their data will be used.
• We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 without explicit parental consent.
• If you believe we have collected information from a child without appropriate consent, contact us immediately at info@beagenius.org and we will delete it promptly.

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make material changes, we will update the effective date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

For significant changes that affect how we use data you have already provided, we will make reasonable efforts to notify you directly (for example, by email if you are a newsletter subscriber).

Your continued use of our website after any changes take effect means you accept the updated policy.

10. Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests related to this Privacy Policy or your personal data, please get in touch:

• Email: info@beagenius.org
• Location: Kingston, Jamaica
• Website: beagenius.org

We aim to respond to all privacy-related enquiries within five business days.