Privacy Policy

Last updated: August 2026

Pathways Optionality Engine ("we," "us," "our") provides personalized career-pathway and academic-readiness reports for children based on information their parent or legal guardian provides. This policy explains what we collect, why, and how we protect it — including specific commitments regarding children's data under the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).

The short version: A parent gives us information about their own child. We use it to write one report. We never sell it, never advertise against it, never share it with third parties for marketing, and the parent can request deletion at any time.

Who this applies to

Our service is directed at parents and legal guardians, not at children. We do not knowingly collect information directly from a child. All intake is completed by a parent or guardian, and all reports are delivered to the parent or guardian's email address.

What we collect

From the parent: name, email address, and payment information (processed by our payment provider — we do not store card numbers).
About the child, provided by the parent: first name or initials, age or grade level, state, and a description of the child's activities, interests, and hours spent on them.

We do not collect location data, browsing behavior, device identifiers, or any information directly from the child. We do not use cookies for advertising or tracking purposes on this site.

How we use it

Information provided is used solely to research and produce the personalized report the parent requested, and — if the parent chooses to continue as a subscriber — to prepare future updates to that report. We may also use anonymized, aggregated patterns (never tied to an identifiable child) to improve our internal analyst process.

What we never do

We never sell or rent a child's information to any third party.
We never use a child's information to target advertising, to the child or to the parent.
We never share a child's information with schools, colleges, or other institutions without the parent's explicit, separate consent.

Data retention and deletion

We retain intake information and report data for as long as a family remains an active subscriber, so that future reports can build on prior ones. A parent may request full deletion of their child's data at any time by emailing hello@pathwaysengine.com. We will confirm deletion within 30 days.

Verifiable parental consent

By submitting the intake form and completing payment, the submitting adult confirms they are the child's parent or legal guardian and consent to the collection and use of the child's information as described in this policy. We do not knowingly accept intake submissions from anyone who is not an adult.

Data security

Information is stored in access-controlled systems limited to the individuals directly involved in producing your report. Payment is processed by a PCI-compliant third-party processor; we do not receive or store full card numbers.

Your rights

As a parent or guardian, you may at any time request to: review the information we hold about your child, correct inaccurate information, or delete your child's information entirely (which will also end your subscription, if applicable). Contact hello@pathwaysengine.com to make any of these requests.

Changes to this policy

If this policy changes materially, we will notify active subscribers by email before the change takes effect.

Contact

Questions about this policy or your data can be sent to hello@pathwaysengine.com.