Privacy Policy

Collection and Usage of Personal Information

In General.
We receive and store information about you when you visit our Platforms.  We may also collect Personal Information from you when you visit third party Platforms, open or respond to our emails, contact customer service or use support tools, visit any page that displays our ads or content, purchase programs or services on our Platforms, connect or link to any Platform via social networking sites, post comments to online communities and/or provide information to our suppliers, advertising and business partners.  Personal Information collected may include first and last name, telephone number, postal and email addresses, gender, data of birth, passport number, government identification number and billing information (such as credit card number, cardholder name, and expiration date). We may also request information regarding your insurance and medical coverage options, hotel room preferences, etc. You can choose not to provide Personal Information to us, but, in general some Personal Information about you is required in order for you to:  register for our programs; book travel; complete a program profile; participate in a survey contest, or sweepstakes; ask us a question; or initiate other transactions on the Platforms.

Information We Collect About You

Information from Other Sources.
We also may periodically obtain both personal and non-personal information about you from affiliated entities, advertising and business partners, data providers and other third party sources and add it to our information. Examples of information we may receive include: name, educational institution, travel dates, flight info, email address, history of purchases, demographic information, unique individual or device identifiers, etc. In addition, if you sign up for our programs using social media accounts, or link your WorldStrides account to your social media accounts, or use other social media features, we may access Personal Information about you via social media platforms.  This information may include your name, email address, profile picture, gender, location, list of friends, educational institution and other information.

Automatic Information.
We automatically collect some information about your computer when you visit our, or other, Platforms. For example, we may collect information about your IP address, web browser, Internet Service Providers (ISPs), referring and exit pages, operating systems, date/time stamps, number of clicks to analyze trends, etc.  This information is used to administer the Platforms, track user movements and gather information about referring websites. We also may collect information about your online activity, such as programs viewed and registrations completed.  This automatic information is used only on an aggregated, anonymous basis and is not used with, or linked to, any personally identifiable information.

How We Share Your Information

We share your information with or for:

Suppliers.
We share your Personal Information, only when necessary, with hotel, airline, coach & bus, car rental, insurance, medical and activity providers, to fulfill your program requirements and reservations.  By enrolling in our programs, through any Platform, you are authorizing us to disclose to our suppliers the information required to complete the program requested and fulfill related requirements such as insurance and medical coverage.   We do not control the privacy practices of suppliers.

Third Party Vendors.
We share your information with third party vendors who provide services or functions on our behalf.  These third party vendors include credit card processing companies, business analytics platforms, customer service organizations, advertising and business partners, distributers of surveys or sweepstakes programs, and fraud prevention firms. We may also authorize third party vendors to collect information on our behalf as necessary to operate features of our Platforms or to facilitate online advertising tailored to your interests. Third-party vendors have access to, and may collect, your Personal Information to perform their functions and deliver services.  We do not control the privacy practices of third party vendors.

Business Partners.
We may jointly offer products or services with business partners.
You can tell when a business partner is involved in a product or service you have requested because their name will appear, either alone or with ours. If you choose to access these optional services, we may share your Personal Information with our partners. We do not control the privacy practices of business partners.

Requesting Information and Referring Friends For Leadership Programs.
We may contact you to provide information on becoming a WorldStrides Program Leader if you fill out a request form to lead a WorldStrides program.  Also, when you submit information about another educator for our “Refer a Friend” program, we may contact that individual regarding leading a WorldStrides program. When you refer a friend using the Platforms, Personal Information may be requested about that individual. You should obtain the consent of other individuals prior to providing us with their Personal Information.

Future Business Transactions.
As our business is constantly changing, we may transfer your Personal Information as part of a merger, sale of assets, acquisition, etc.

Referring Platforms.
If you are referred to our Platforms from another Platform, an advertising site, a blog, a social media site, etc., we may collect information about you from the referring Platform or site.  Also, we may share some information about you with the referring Platform or site.  We do not control the privacy practices of referring websites.  We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any referring Platform.

Surveys and Promotions.
WorldStrides may conduct surveys and promotions on our Platforms that collect your Personal Information.  Our surveys and promotions are voluntary and any information you provide may be collected, used, shared, disclosed, stored, transferred and processed in accordance with this policy.  Your participation in our surveys and promotions, and your submission of Personal Information, serve as your consent to these practices.

Using Our Platforms From Outside the United States

When visiting our Platforms from outside the United States, please be aware that we may process your Personal Information in, or transfer your Personal Information to, the United States.  We may also transfer your Personal Information to third parties in the United States for processing.  If you do not wish your Personal Information to be processed in, transferred to and stored in, the United States, please do not provide your Personal Information when using our Platforms in locations outside the United States.  By submitting your Personal Information, you agree and consent to having your Information processed by, transferred to, and stored with us and third parties in the United Sates.

Protecting Your Information

We want you to feel confident about using our Platforms to register in our programs and make travel arrangements.  We are committed to protecting the Personal Information we collect. While no Platform can guarantee security, we use commercially reasonable physical, technical, and administrative safeguards to assist us in preventing unauthorized access, use and disclosure of your Personal Information.

Protecting Your Information

WorldStrides, and third parties, use cookies and tracking technologies. We use first and third party tracking tools to collect your Personal Information, as well as to gather usage and demographic information about you over time and across different Platforms.  Third parties (e.g., advertising partners), collect Personal Information, such as your name, address, email address, gender, educational institution, travel preferences, telephone number, travel dates, flight information, unique identifiers, etc., via these technologies.  WorldStrides and third parties may use browser cookies which are stored on your computer in a file.  In addition, we and third parties may also collect and store your Personal Information via web beacons, remarketing pixel tags, and Flash cookies which are placed in the code of a web page or email or which access your browsing activity. Where cookie technologies may not be available (for example in mobile applications), WorldStrides and third parties may use technologies that perform functions similar to cookies that link identifiers used for advertising on mobile applications to an advertising cookie to coordinate ads across your mobile apps and mobile browser. By using the Platforms, you consent to the use of cookies and tracking technologies as described in this policy. For more information regarding the cookies and tracking technologies that we may use, click here.

Opting Out of Cookies

We provide you with choices regarding cookies and tracking technologies.  The Help portion of the toolbar on most browsers will tell you how to prevent your browser from accepting new cookies, how to have the browser notify you when you receive a new cookie, or how to disable cookies altogether.

Please keep in mind that, without cookies, you may not have access to certain features on our Platforms, including access to your profile or account and certain personalized content. Removing all cookies from your computer could also affect your subsequent visits to certain Platforms by requiring that, for example, you enter your login name when you return.

If you would like to opt-out cookies, here are some options:

If you would like to opt-out of ad targeting cookies set by Google, Doubleclick and similar Platforms, please click here: Google opt-out: https://support.google.com/ads/answer/2662922?hl=en

If you would like to generally opt-out of receiving personalized ads from third party advertisers and ad networks who are members of the Network Advertising Initiative (NAI) or who follow the Digital Advertising Alliance’s (DAA) Self-Regulatory Principles for Online Behavioral Advertising please visit the opt-out pages on the NAI website and DAA website or click the following:
NAI’s opt-out tool: http://www.networkadvertising.org/choices/
DAA’s opt out tool: http://www.aboutads.info/choices/
Facebook opt-out: https://www.facebook.com/business/help/1415256572060999
Twitter opt-out: https://support.twitter.com/articles/20170407?lang=en
LinkedIn opt-out: https://www.linkedin.com/static?key=linkedin_ads_info

In order to control the collection of data for analytical purposes by Google Analytics, you may want to visit the following link: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout.

Managing “Do Not Track” Signals

Some browsers have a Do Not Track (“DNT”) feature that lets you tell websites that you do not want to have your online activities tracked. When you choose to turn on the DNT setting in your browser, your browser sends a special signal to websites, analytics companies, ad networks, plug in providers, and other web services you encounter while browsing to stop tracking your activity via cookies or other tracking technologies.  For information regarding DNT and how to enable this setting, if available, on your devices please see https://allaboutdnt.com.  Our Platforms do not respond to DNT signals at this time.

Email Notifications

To respect the privacy of our users, we provide the opportunity to opt out of certain types of communication. You may choose not to receive commercial emails from us by following the unsubscribe instructions contained in the commercial emails we send you. You may also email us directly at update@worldstrides.org at any time if you would like to unsubscribe from our email service. Please note that even if you unsubscribe from commercial email messages, we may still email you regarding your account and your transactions.

If you wish to opt out of receiving offers from our business or advertising partners you can follow the opt-out or unsubscribe instructions in the emails that they send you.

Using Mobile and Other Devices

WorldStrides, and/or third parties that we have engaged, may collect and store unique identifiers matched to your mobile device, in order to deliver customized ads or content while you use applications or surf the internet, or to identify you in a unique manner across devices or browsers. In order to customize these ads or content, we, or third parties, may collect your Personal Information, e.g., your email address, or data passively collected from you such as your device identifier or IP address.

You can manage how your mobile device and mobile browser share information with the Platforms, as well as how your mobile browser handles cookies, by adjusting the privacy and security settings on your device. Please refer to instructions provided by your mobile service provider or the manufacturer of your device to learn how to adjust your settings.

Text Messaging and Alerts – Opting In and Out

Our mobile Platforms may give you the choice to opt-in to receiving text messages and alerts on the mobile phone number(s) you have shared with us. Once you have opted-in, we may send you text messages (i) regarding your account; (ii) to investigate or prevent fraud; and (iii) to alert you in the event of an emergency.  We may send you text messages and alerts using autodialed technology.  We will not contact you via text messages or alerts for marketing purposes without your prior express written consent.  You do not have to opt-in to text messages and alerts to use and enjoy our Platforms and services.  If you opt-in, standard text messaging charges may apply.  For more information regarding our text messaging and alerts, please contact us at update@worldstrides.org.

You may choose to opt-out from our text messages and alerts at any time using any reasonable means.  To directly opt-out send us a text message from your mobile phone with the word STOP, STOP ALL, END, QUIT, CANCEL or UNSUBSCRIBE and we will unsubscribe you from text communications.  Once you opt-out, you will not receive any additional text messages via your mobile phone.  Please keep in mind that if you opt-out of receiving text messages and alerts we may not be able to contact you with important messages regarding your account.  However, if there is an emergency or account question, we will make every attempt to contact you in other ways such as by email or on a land line phone.

Your Access To and Control Over Your Information

You can inquire as to your Personal Information, ask the following questions, or take the following actions by contacting us via email at update@worldstrides.org or via the address or phone number given on our Platforms to:

1. See what Personal Information we have about you if any;
2. Change/correct any Personal Information we have about you;
3. Have us delete any Personal Information we have about you;
4. Express any concerns you have about our use of your Personal

Information Submitted by Children

We only collect Personal Information from children under 13 after verifiable parental consent has been obtained in accordance with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (“COPPA”).  If a parent or guardian becomes aware that his or her child has provided us with Personal Information without their consent, he or she should contact us. If we become aware that a child under 13 has provided us with Personal Information without verifiable parental consent or if we receive Personal Information from other Platforms, we will delete such information from our Platforms.

Third Party Links

We may collect your Personal Information from third parties. This includes when you log in using a third party platform, such as Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc. We may also disclose information collected from third parties to customize ads and to manage and facilitate messaging on third party platforms.   We do not control the privacy practices of third party platforms.  We encourage you to review the privacy policies of third party Platforms for more information regarding the applicable privacy practices.

Your California Privacy Rights

As provided by California Civil Code Section 1798.83, a California resident who has provided Personal Information to a business with whom they have established a business relationship for personal, family, or household purposes (“California customer”) is entitled to request information about whether the business has disclosed Personal Information to any third parties for the third parties’ direct marketing purposes. In general, if the business has made such a disclosure of Information, upon receipt of a request by a California customer, the business is required to provide a list of all third parties to whom Information was disclosed in the preceding calendar year, as well as a list of the categories of Information that were collected and/or disclosed. To request such information, please submit your request by email to update@worldstrides.org, or in writing to WorldStrides, Attn: California Shine the Light Inquiry, 218 Water Street West # 400, Charlottesville, Virginia  22902.  Please allow 30 days for a response. Please note that we are only required to respond to one request per customer each year and you will not be charged for this request.

If you are a California resident, who is a registered user of the Platforms and is a minor, you may remove, or request removal of, content or information that you posted on the Platforms, unless: (i) the content or information was posted by a 3rd party, (ii) any other provision of state or federal law requires WorldStrides or a 3rd party to maintain the content or information, (iii) WorldStrides anonymizes the content or information, or (iv) you received compensation from WorldStrides for providing the content or information.  To request removal of information or content that you posted, please e-mail update@worldstrides.org.  Please note that the removal described does not ensure complete or comprehensive removal of the content or information that you post, as content or information may be cached in backup files or other storage. WorldStrides will make all reasonable efforts to honor any removal request made as described in this paragraph.

If you would like to review and/or change your Personal Information retained by WorldStrides please see the section above “Your Access to and Control over Information.” If you have questions regarding the process to review and/or change your Personal Information please email us at update@worldstrides.org.

California and other customers may request further information about our compliance with this law by emailing WorldStrides at update@worldstrides.org.

Changes to Privacy Policy

Any material changes to this policy will be posted on our webpage to keep you aware of what Personal Information is collected, how it is used, and under what circumstances it will be shared.  It is your responsibility to review WorldStrides’ Privacy Policy each time you provide Personal Information to us as the policy may have changed since the last time you used our Platforms.

How You Can Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy (or your program registrations or travel planning) please email us at update@worldstrides.org.

This Privacy Policy was last updated on April 26, 2017.

What’s New?

Effective April 26, 2017, we changed our Privacy Policy to clarify the types of Personal Information we collect about you, the ways we collect your Personal Information and how we may use and share your information.

Here is a summary of the changes:

1. We will now use the term “Platforms” to describe our website, mobile apps, blogs, etc. as well as third party websites, mobile apps, social media sites,
2. We clarify the types of Personal Information we collect about you and the ways we collect this data. We collect information in many ways, including from third party platforms, social media sites, advertising networks,
3. We describe how we share and use your Personal Information whether collected by our Platforms, or other Platforms, including social media sites and advertising partners, for the purposes of ad targeting, remarketing and customizing ad content.
4. We describe our use of email communications and text messaging and how to opt out and/or control these communications.
5. We notify users as to their rights under the California Shine the Light law.
6. We clarify use of the Platforms from outside the United States and how Personal Information is collected, transferred, processed and stored within the borders of the United States.
7. We clarify how we share your information with our suppliers, third party vendors and referring platforms.
8. We will clarify how we, and third parties, transfer and process your Personal Information when using our Platforms from outside the United States.
9. We describe the changes to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. We will detail how these technologies work and how we may use and share the information we collect from these technologies.
10. We include information on managing Do Not Track signals.
11. We detail the data analytics platforms we use to understand the behavior of visitors to our Platforms.

Cookies and Tracking Technologies: Uses and Information

WorldStrides and third parties, may use cookies and tracking tools for following purposes when you visit our Platforms:

1. To track new visitors to our Platforms;
2. To operate, maintain and improve our Platforms;
3. To facilitate and fulfill travel program requirements and services requests;
4. To answer your questions and respond to requests;
5. To send you reminders, technical notices, updates, security alerts, support and administrative messages, marketing messages and requested information, including on behalf of our advertising and business partners;
6. To administer surveys, sweepstakes, contests or other promotional activities or events sponsored by us or our advertising and business partners;
7. To help us recognize your browser as a previous visitor. This includes saving and remembering any preferences that may have been set while your browser was visiting the our Platforms, such as language preferences;
8. To store your username and password if you are registered with us;
9. To provide you with interest-based or other ads and offers for products and services from us and our advertising and business partners. We work with advertising partners and companies to display targeted advertising on our Platforms, and other third party Platforms that you visit, including but not limited to Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram and Twitter. This targeting may be based on information you submit on our Platforms or third party Platforms. This targeting may also be based on your activities or behaviors on our Platforms or those of third parties. We may also obtain information about your browsing history or other demographic information from our business and advertising partners.
10. To perform analytics and conduct customer research. We may use Google Analytics and similar technologies to collect statistics about the behavior of visitors to our Platforms. These technologies collect only anonymized information about you, rather than Personal Information such as your name or other identifying data. We do not control the cookies or other tracking technologies used by third parties to collect and store your information.  We encourage you to review the privacy policies of third parties for more information regarding the applicable privacy practices.

Here is some more information on cookies and tracking technologies that we, or third parties, may use when you visit our Platforms:

1. Cookies – Small text files (typically made up of letters and numbers) placed in the memory of your browser or device when you visit a website or view a message. Cookies allow a website to recognize a particular device or browser.
2. First-party cookies – First party cookies are set by the Platform you are visiting. First party cookies collect data from direct contact with a user and may track profiles via web forms, browsing history, purchase history,
3. Persistent cookies – Persistent cookies are stored on your device in between browser sessions, allowing first or third parties to remember your preferences or actions across multiple sites.
4. Session cookies – Session cookies expire at the end of your browser session and allow first parties or third parties to link your actions during that particular browser session.
5. Flash cookies – Flash cookies, aka Local Shared Objects (LSOs), are small files stored on your computer by websites using Adobe Flash applications. Flash cookies are used for purposes very similar to those of regular cookies, such as to store preferences and track internet activity.
6. HTML cookies – HTML cookies are small pieces of data sent from a website and stored in your web browser during a browsing session. These cookies were designed to remember information (such as items added in the shopping cart in an online store) or to record browsing activity (including clicking particular buttons, logging in, or recording which pages were visited in the past). They can also be used to remember arbitrary pieces of information that the user previously entered into form fields such as name, address, password, and credit card number.
7. Third-party cookies are set by a third party Platform separate from the site you are visiting

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