EarlyB3rd (“we,” “us,” “our”) creates online entrepreneurship lessons and workshops for kids. We take children’s privacy seriously. If your child is under 13, federal law (COPPA) requires we obtain verifiable parental consent before collecting, using, or sharing personally identifiable information (PII). This Agreement describes what we collect, why, how you can control it, and how to provide consent.
- Child / Minor: anyone under 13 years old.
- Parent / Authorized Caregiver: person(s) with legal authority to provide consent for the child.
- Personal Information / PII: information that identifies a child, such as name, email, postal address, phone number, photos, voice recordings, persistent identifiers (device IDs), student work tied to the child’s identity, and similar.
- Operator: EarlyB3rd (the service).
We limit collection to only what’s required to provide services. We may collect:
- Child’s first name, age or date of birth (to place in correct cohort)
- Parent’s name, email, phone, billing info (for payments and consent verification)
- Student project submissions (text and images) — only where necessary and with parent control
- Usage data (lesson progress, time on platform) tied to child account identifiers
- Optional media (photos or recordings of projects) only when parent explicitly allows
We do not collect Social Security numbers or other highly sensitive identifiers.
- To create and manage the child’s account and learning experience
- To provide lesson content, assessments, badges, and progress reports to parents
- To enable classroom/cohort participation, live workshops, and feedback sessions
- To process payments and refunds (parental billing info only)
- To comply with legal requests and enforce our Terms of Use
We may use third-party vendors (LMS providers, video hosting, payment processors). We only share the minimum PII necessary and will execute Data Processing Agreements (DPAs) to ensure vendors comply with COPPA standards. We will not rent or sell children’s PII for behavioral advertising. If you opt into marketing or public showcases, we will obtain separate consent.
- We retain a child’s PII only as long as needed to provide services or as required by law. Recommended baseline: no longer than 2 years after last activity unless you ask us to retain (for transcripts, certifications), or unless required for legal reasons.
- Parents can request deletion at any time. We will delete PII within a reasonable time window (typically 30 days, unless data must be retained for legal or billing reasons) and will confirm completion.
Parents can:
- Review the PII collected about their child
- Refuse or withdraw consent at any time (withdrawal does not affect processing done prior to withdrawal)
- Request correction or deletion of their child’s PII
- Opt in / opt out of optional uses (media sharing, showcases, marketing)
To exercise rights: email ahmad@earlyb3rd.com
We use industry reasonable safeguards: HTTPS/TLS in transit, encryption at rest for sensitive fields, role-based access controls, routine security audits, and vendor DPAs.
COPPA requires that parental consent be verifiable, i.e., reasonably likely to ensure the person providing consent is the child’s parent. Acceptable methods include (but aren’t limited to):
A — Credit/debit card transaction (micro-transaction authorization)
Parent makes a refundable authorization charge (e.g., $0.50 or $1.00) to a credit/debit card. Charge is immediately voided or refunded after authorization.
Use this only via a PCI-compliant payment processor and disclose billing purpose as “parental consent verification — refundable.”
Record method used in parental consent log.
B — Signed consent form returned by fax, mail, scan/email
Parent fills PDF consent form (see template below), signs, and uploads or faxes it to EarlyB3rd. Accept scanned signature with ID if needed.
C — Phone call with trained staff
Parent calls a designated EarlyB3rd verification line and answers a brief script confirming identity and consent. Calls are recorded with parent permission (store recording with consent log).
D — Government ID + electronic signature
Parent uploads a picture of a government ID and types name to electronically sign the consent. Use secure upload and immediately delete ID after verification unless required to retain.
NOT RECOMMENDED: Relying solely on email confirmation from parent without a second verification step (email alone is usually insufficient unless combined with another method).
Recordkeeping: For every consent, log: child's name, parent name, method used, date/time, IP address, and a copy of the consent artifact. Keep logs secure for at least 3 years (COPPA enforcement window) or as required by counsel.
EARLYB3RD — PARENTAL CONSENT FOR COLLECTION OF CHILDREN’S PERSONAL INFORMATION (COPPA)
Child’s full name: ___________________________
Child’s date of birth (MM/DD/YYYY): _______________
Child’s grade: _______
Parent/guardian name: ___________________________
Parent email: ___________________________
Parent phone: ___________________________
I am the parent or legal guardian of the child named above. I have read EarlyB3rd’s Privacy Notice for Children and understand the types of information that will be collected about my child and how it will be used. I consent to the collection and use of the child’s personal information as described below (check all that apply):
☐ Create a child account and provide lesson access (required).
☐ Collect and store child project submissions (text/images) for use in class and for assessment.
☐ Use child’s first name and project work for in-platform showcases (public) — optional.
☐ Include child’s photo or recorded demo in a private class gallery — optional.
☐ Allow anonymized usage data to be used for product improvement — optional.I understand I can review, correct, or request deletion of my child’s personal information at any time by contacting privacy@earlyb3rd.com
or through the parental portal at [PARENT PORTAL LINK]. I understand that withdrawal of consent will prevent future collection, but will not affect information collected prior to withdrawal.
Method of verifiable consent used (staff to check): ☐ Credit card auth ☐ Signed PDF
☐ Phone verification ☐ Gov ID + e-signature ☐ Other: _______
Parent signature (typed name is acceptable for e-consent): ________________________
Date: ______________
Staff verification ID / notes: _________________________
