privacy policy

#TeenWritersProject Privacy Policy
Effective date: Nov 1, 2026

Teen Writers Project ("#TeenWritersProject," "#TWP," "we," "us," or "our") is a Dallas, Texas nonprofit that publishes, pays, and prepares teen writers ages 14–19. We take the privacy of the teens, families, educators, schools, donors, and partners we serve seriously.

This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect through www.teenwritersproject.org (the "Site"), the forms linked from it, our online shop, and our programs; how we use and share that information; and the choices you have. By using the Site, you agree to the practices described here.

1. Information We Collect
Information you give us. We collect information you choose to provide when you:

Subscribe to updates: email address.
Contact us: name, email, phone number (optional), the type of inquiry you select (teen writer, educator/school, partner/sponsor, volunteer/expert, press/media, or other), and your message.
Submit writing or pitches to The #TWP Quarterly or Ctrl+Z Teens: name, email, age or grade, school, city, a short bio, and the work you submit.
Apply or register for programs, the Listening Lab, internships, the Editorial Board (High School-to-Hire and College-to-Career), or volunteer roles: contact details, age or grade, school, interests, writing samples, availability, and, for participants under 18, parent or guardian contact information and consent.
Book a L.I.T. Writers in Schools preview or partner with us: your name, title, school or organization, and contact details.
Shop or donate: name, email, billing and shipping address, and order or gift details. Payment card information is entered directly with our payment processors; we do not store full card numbers.
Receive a stipend or payment for published or paid work: information needed to pay you and meet tax and recordkeeping obligations, collected directly and securely outside the Site.
Create a site account or log in: name, email, and password (managed by our website platform).

Information collected automatically. Like most websites, the Site and its service providers automatically collect certain technical information when you visit, such as your IP address, browser and device type, pages viewed, referring website, and the date and time of your visit. See Cookies and Analytics below.

Information from others. We may receive information about you from a teacher, school, or partner organization that enrolls students in our programs, or from a parent or guardian who registers a teen.

2. How We Use Information
We use the information we collect to:

Run our programs, workshops, Listening Labs, and school partnerships.
Review, edit, select, and publish submitted work, and pay contributors.
Respond to questions and route your message to the right person.
Process shop orders, donations, and receipts.
Send newsletters and updates about publications, workshops, and opportunities (you can unsubscribe anytime).
Report on our impact to funders and partners, using aggregated or de-identified numbers (for example, "842 teens published").
Maintain, secure, and improve the Site.
Comply with legal, tax, and accounting obligations.

3. Teen Writers and Young People

Our programs are designed for high school teens ages 14–19. Because many participants are minors, we apply extra care to their information.

Children under 13. The Site and our programs are not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from them. If we learn we have collected information from a child under 13 without verifiable parental consent, we will delete it. If you believe this has happened, contact us at letswrite@teenwritersproject.org.
Parent and guardian involvement. For participants under 18, our intake forms collect a parent or guardian's contact information and consent before enrollment, publication, payment, photography, or recording.
Publishing. When we publish a teen's work in print, online, or on the Sound Stage Presents… Podcast, we may display the writer's first name or chosen byline, age or grade, school or city, and a short bio. We do not publish a minor's home address, phone number, or personal email. A teen or parent may ask us to use a pen name or first name only.
Photos and recordings. We may photograph or record workshops and events. We obtain permission before publicly using identifiable images or recordings of minors, and families may opt out at any time.
Online community. Some programs use third-party platforms, such as our Discord server for Mixed Ink. Those platforms have their own age requirements and privacy policies, and participants should follow them.
Parent requests. A parent or guardian of a participant under 18 may ask to review, correct, or delete their teen's information by contacting us.

4. How We Share Information

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. We share it only as follows:

Service providers that help us operate the Site, process payments and donations, send email, collect forms, and ship orders. They may use your information only to provide services to us.
Schools and partner organizations that enroll students in our programs, limited to what is needed to run that program (for example, attendance or participation).
Published work. Information you agree to include with a published piece becomes public, as described in Section 3.
Funders and grantmakers, in aggregated or de-identified form. We do not share an individual teen's identifying information with funders without permission.
Legal reasons, when required by law, subpoena, or court order, or to protect the safety of a participant or others.
Organizational changes, such as a merger or transfer of our programs to another nonprofit, subject to this policy.

5. Third-Party Services
We rely on trusted providers to run the Site and our programs. When you use them, your information is also handled under their privacy policies.

Wix
Hosts the Site, contact and signup forms, site accounts, shop, and email list
Donorbox
Processes online donations
PayPal
Alternate donation and payment option
Google Forms
Collects submissions, applications, and program registrations
Heyzine
Displays digital flipbooks of our magazines
Discord
Hosts our teen online writing community
Spotify and YouTube
Host our podcast and video content
Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok
Our social media profiles

The Site contains links to these and other external sites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of sites we do not control.

6. Cookies and Analytics
The Site uses cookies and similar technologies, set by us and by our website platform, to keep the Site working (for example, your shopping cart and login), remember preferences, and understand how visitors use the Site. We also use Google Analytics to understand aggregated traffic patterns, such as which pages are visited most and how visitors find the Site.

We do not use cookies to build advertising profiles of teens. You can block or delete cookies in your browser settings, though some features, like the shop or login, may not work properly. You can opt out of Google Analytics with the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.

7. Email Communications
If you join our list through the "Stay in the loop" form, we will send updates about publications, workshops, and opportunities. Every marketing email includes an unsubscribe link, or you can email us to be removed. Even after you unsubscribe, we may still send messages related to an order, donation receipt, or program you are enrolled in.

8. Data Retention and Security
We keep personal information only as long as needed for the purposes described here, such as running a program, maintaining a publication archive, or meeting tax, donation, and audit recordkeeping requirements. Submissions that are not selected for publication are deleted or archived on a regular schedule. When information is no longer needed, we delete it or make it anonymous.

We use reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards, including limiting access to staff and volunteers who need it and relying on providers with industry-standard security. No method of transmission or storage is 100% secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security.

9. Your Choices and Rights
You may contact us at any time to:

Access the personal information we hold about you.
Correct information that is inaccurate.
Delete your information, unless we must keep it for legal or recordkeeping reasons.
Withdraw consent to publish your name or likeness going forward. Work already printed in physical copies cannot be recalled, but we will remove or update online versions where possible.
Unsubscribe from marketing emails.

We will respond within a reasonable time and may need to verify your identity, or your relationship to a minor, before acting on a request.

10. Changes and Contact
We may update this Privacy Policy as our programs and Site change. We will post the updated version on this page with a new effective date, and for significant changes we may notify subscribers by email.

Questions, requests, or concerns:
Teen Writers Project 919 Morrell Ave., Dallas, TX 75203 letswrite@teenwritersproject.org (469) 708-6742
We respond within 2–3 business days.
Before Publishing (delete this se