The majority of learners who participate in STEM Scholars programmes are minors (under the age of 18). We take this responsibility seriously. This notice explains, in plain language, how we handle information about minors and what we do to keep them safe, in line with Section 35 of the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (POPIA) and the Children's Act 38 of 2005.
1. Parental & Guardian Consent
Where a learner under the age of 18 wishes to apply to or participate in a STEM Scholars programme, a parent or legal guardian must provide consent on their behalf before any personal information is processed. This is typically obtained through our programme application and registration forms, which require a parent/guardian name, contact detail, and explicit consent confirmation.
2. What Information We Collect About Minors
For learner participants under 18, we collect only what is necessary to administer the programme safely and effectively:
- Full name, grade, and school
- A parent or guardian's name and contact details
- Application and project content submitted by the learner
- Attendance and participation records
- Photographs or video taken during workshops or events (only with consent — see Section 5 below)
We do not request banking details, identity numbers, home addresses, or any other sensitive information from minors unless absolutely necessary for a specific, disclosed purpose (such as prize fulfilment), and never without separate parental consent for that specific use.
3. Why We Collect It
Information about minors is used solely to administer their participation: registering them for workshops, communicating with their parent/guardian about schedules and outcomes, coordinating mentorship, and recognising their achievements. It is never used for direct marketing to minors, and never sold, rented, or shared with any party outside of essential programme delivery.
4. Communication With Minors
All programme communication with learners takes place through official, supervised channels (programme platforms, school-coordinated channels, or in the presence of a teacher/parent). Our mentors, judges, and volunteers are required to agree to a Code of Conduct and Child Safeguarding Policy before interacting with any learner, which prohibits private, unsupervised communication with minors outside of official programme activities.
5. Photography & Media of Minors
Photographs or video of learner participants may be taken during workshops, mentorship sessions, or showcase events for educational and promotional purposes (such as this website or our social media). This will only occur with prior parental/guardian consent, collected as part of programme registration. A parent or guardian may withdraw this consent at any time by emailing us, and we will remove the relevant material from future use within a reasonable period.
6. Who Can Access a Minor's Information
Access to a minor's personal information is limited to STEM Scholars programme staff directly involved in administering their participation, and — where strictly necessary for programme delivery — our partner institutions (such as host universities for lab tours). We do not grant mentors, judges, or volunteers access to a learner's full personal record; they interact only with what is needed for mentorship or judging.
7. How Long We Retain Minors' Information
We retain a minor's personal information only for the duration of the relevant programme cycle and a limited period thereafter (no more than two years) for record-keeping and alumni communication purposes, unless a parent/guardian requests earlier deletion.
8. Parent & Guardian Rights
As the parent or guardian of a learner under 18, you have the right, at any time and free of charge, to:
- Request a copy of the information we hold about your child
- Request correction of inaccurate information
- Withdraw consent for your child's continued participation or for use of photographs/video
- Request deletion of your child's information, subject to any legal or safety record-keeping requirements
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at marushka@stemscholars.co.za. We will respond within 30 days.
9. Safeguarding Concerns
If you, your child, or any other person has a concern about the safety, conduct, or wellbeing of a learner in connection with our programmes, please contact us immediately at marushka@stemscholars.co.za. All safeguarding concerns are treated with the utmost seriousness and confidentiality.
This notice should be read together with our general Privacy Policy and Programme Participation Terms. For concerns regarding the handling of your child's information under POPIA, you may also contact the Information Regulator of South Africa at inforeg@justice.gov.za or www.inforegulator.org.za.
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