Privacy Policy

Last updated: March 2026

Welcome to The Academy of Heroes ("we," "us," or "our"). This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, disclose, and protect personal information when you use our web application and services (collectively, the "Service"). We are committed to safeguarding the privacy of all users, and in particular the privacy of students and children who use our platform.

By using the Service, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy.

1. Who We Are and How to Contact Us

Academy of Heroes is an educational gamification platform designed for use in K–12 classrooms. Teachers subscribe to the Service and manage classroom accounts for their students.

For any privacy-related questions, requests, or concerns, please contact us at:

Email: privacy@academy-heroes.com

2. Scope — FERPA and School Relationships

Academy of Heroes operates as a school official under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) when providing services to schools and teachers. Student data we collect and process on behalf of a teacher or school constitutes education records under FERPA. We use student education records solely to provide and improve the Service as directed by the teacher or school, and not for any other commercial purpose.

Teachers and schools are responsible for obtaining any parental consents required under FERPA or applicable state law before enrolling students in the Service.

3. Children's Privacy — COPPA Compliance

The Academy of Heroes is intended for use in school settings under direct teacher supervision. We recognize that some students using our platform may be under the age of 13, and we take our obligations under the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) seriously.

  • Student accounts are created and managed exclusively by teachers. Students do not self-register.
  • We collect only the minimum information necessary to provide the educational service: a student name (or character name), class association, and gameplay progress data.
  • We do not collect email addresses from students under 13.
  • We do not display advertising to students or use student data for targeted advertising.
  • We do not sell or share student personal information with third parties for commercial purposes.
  • Parents and legal guardians may request to review, correct, or delete their child's information by contacting the child's teacher, who can initiate deletion through the teacher dashboard. Alternatively, contact us directly at privacy@academy-heroes.com.

By creating student accounts on behalf of their students, teachers represent that they have the authority to do so and, where required, have obtained appropriate parental consent.

4. Information We Collect

We collect the following categories of information depending on the type of account:

Teacher Accounts

  • Registration Information: Name, email address, school name, school address, classroom name, and login credentials.
  • Billing Information: Subscription plan and payment transaction records. Payment card details are processed and stored by our third-party payment processor (PayPal) — we do not store full payment card numbers.
  • Classroom Content: Quest hubs, chapters, missions, and other educational content created within the Service.
  • Usage Data: Feature usage, login timestamps, and interaction with the platform to support account management and service improvement.

Student Accounts

  • Identity: Student name and/or character name as entered by their teacher.
  • Classroom Association: Class code linking the student to their teacher's classroom.
  • Gameplay and Progress Data: Experience points (XP), gold, level, quest progress, quiz responses, battle outcomes, inventory, and avatar log history. This data is essential for the educational and gamification features of the Service.
  • Messages: Direct messages sent between students and their teacher within the platform.

Automatically Collected Information

  • Session Cookies: We use session cookies strictly necessary to maintain logged-in state and ensure the application functions correctly. We do not use advertising or tracking cookies.
  • Log Data: Standard server logs including IP address, browser type, and pages visited, used for security and error diagnosis only.

5. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect solely to:

  • Provide, operate, and maintain the Academy of Heroes Service.
  • Allow teachers to manage their classroom, track student progress, and create educational content.
  • Power the gamification features: XP calculations, quest progression, battle mechanics, leaderboards, and rewards.
  • Process subscription payments and manage billing for teacher accounts.
  • Send service-related communications to teachers (e.g., subscription confirmations, important updates).
  • Diagnose technical issues, improve security, and enhance platform performance.

We do not sell personal information. We do not use student data for advertising, profiling, or any purpose outside of providing the educational service.

6. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell or rent personal information to third parties. We may share information only in the following limited circumstances:

  • Service Providers (Data Processors): We use the following third-party providers to operate the Service. Each is bound by data processing agreements and privacy obligations:
    • Google Firebase / Firestore — Cloud database, authentication, and file storage. Data is stored on Google's secure cloud infrastructure. See Firebase Privacy Policy.
    • PayPal — Payment processing for teacher subscriptions. PayPal processes payment data in accordance with their own privacy policy. We share only the minimum data required to complete transactions. See PayPal Privacy Policy.
    • Vercel — Web application hosting and deployment. See Vercel Privacy Policy.
  • Legal Requirements: We may disclose information if required by law, court order, or to protect the rights and safety of our users or the public.
  • Business Transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, user information may be transferred. We will notify users of any such change in ownership.

7. Data Security

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your information, including:

  • Encrypted data transmission via HTTPS/TLS on all connections.
  • Secure cloud storage via Google Firebase with role-based access controls.
  • Authentication required for all account access; student accounts are accessible only by the student and their associated teacher.
  • Regular security reviews of our platform and third-party integrations.

No method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your data, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

8. Data Retention

  • Active Accounts: Data is retained for as long as the account is active and in use.
  • Student Account Deletion: When a teacher removes a student from their classroom, that student's personal information and gameplay data are permanently deleted from our active systems.
  • Teacher Account Deletion: When a teacher account is terminated or cancelled, all associated student accounts and classroom data are permanently deleted within 30 days.
  • Backup Retention: Deleted data may remain in encrypted backups for up to 90 days before being permanently purged.

9. Your Rights and Data Control

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights regarding your personal data:

  • Access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
  • Correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information.
  • Deletion: Request deletion of your personal information. For student data, requests may be directed to the student's teacher or to us at privacy@academy-heroes.com.
  • Portability: Request a copy of your data in a portable format.
  • Opt-out: We do not sell personal data, but you may contact us to opt out of any non-essential communications.

California Residents (CCPA): California residents have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act. We do not sell personal information. To exercise your rights, contact us at privacy@academy-heroes.com.

Parents and Guardians: Parents or legal guardians of students under 13 may request to review, correct, or delete their child's information by contacting the child's teacher or emailing us directly.

10. Royal Library — Community Content

Teachers may voluntarily submit educational quest content to the Academy of Heroes Royal Library, a community content-sharing feature. Content submitted to the Royal Library is reviewed by Academy of Heroes administrators before being made available to other teachers. By submitting content, teachers grant Academy of Heroes a non-exclusive license to display that content to other platform users. Content submitted to the Royal Library does not include any student personal information.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, the law, or our Service. If we make material changes, we will notify teachers via the application or by email at least 30 days before the changes take effect. Your continued use of the Service after the effective date constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.