Introduction and Scope of this Comprehensive Privacy Policy

The African American Arts and Culture Community Center (referred to herein as “AAACCC,” “the Center,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) is fundamentally and passionately committed to the preservation, promotion, and celebration of African American arts, culture, and history, fostering community engagement and facilitating creative expression within a supportive and secure environment, and this commitment extends unequivocally to the robust protection of the personal information entrusted to us by our students, families, staff, volunteers, donors, researchers, and general website visitors, all of whom form the vital network essential to the fulfillment of our mission. This extensive Privacy Policy is meticulously crafted to clearly articulate our practices concerning the collection, utilization, disclosure, retention, and safeguarding of all personal data, whether gathered through our physical programs and enrollment processes, our public events, our fundraising initiatives, or through the operation of our websites, digital platforms, and online communication channels, ensuring complete transparency regarding how your information is managed in accordance with applicable data protection laws and the highest ethical standards of non-profit operations and cultural stewardship. By engaging with the AAACCC through any medium, whether by enrolling a child in a class, making a financial contribution, registering as a volunteer, or simply browsing our digital archival resources, you signify your understanding and acceptance of the terms and conditions outlined within this document, and we urge all stakeholders to read this policy in its entirety, as it governs all interactions that involve the submission or automated collection of personal data related to the Center’s multifaceted operations and vital community outreach efforts. This policy’s scope is designed to be comprehensive, encompassing all data processing activities undertaken by the AAACCC, its affiliated programs, and any third-party service providers acting on our behalf, thereby assuring our community that the principles of security, confidentiality, and responsible data governance are central to every administrative and programmatic decision we make as an organization dedicated to the public trust.

The Categories of Personal Information We Collect

Personally Identifiable Information (PII) for Programmatic and Administrative Purposes

In the course of delivering our core educational and cultural programs, managing our professional staff, and processing necessary financial transactions, the African American Arts and Culture Community Center requires the collection of various types of Personally Identifiable Information (PII), which is data that can be used to specifically identify an individual, and the extent of this collection is strictly limited to what is necessary for defined, legitimate, and mission-aligned operational purposes, ensuring that we never collect data indiscriminately or beyond the needs of service delivery. For students and enrolled participants, this PII typically includes full legal names, dates of birth to confirm age-group eligibility, physical residential addresses, telephone numbers, and current email addresses for communication purposes, along with specific health and emergency contact information, including the names and contact details of authorized guardians and designated emergency contacts, as is absolutely essential for the safety and well-being of minors participating in our supervised activities and classes. For adult volunteers, staff, and contractors, the PII collected is necessarily more extensive and professional in nature, encompassing social security numbers or taxpayer identification numbers required for legal employment verification and payroll processing, detailed educational and professional history for background checks and qualifications assessment, and bank account information required for direct deposit of salaries or reimbursement of approved organizational expenses, all of which are managed under enhanced security protocols reflective of their sensitive nature, assuring every individual that their essential personal identifiers are handled with the highest degree of diligence and protection throughout the entire lifecycle of our relationship with them.

Financial and Transactional Information Related to Support and Commerce

As a non-profit organization heavily reliant on community support and service fees to maintain and expand our critical cultural preservation and educational programs, the AAACCC frequently collects financial and transactional information from individuals engaging in commerce with us, including tuition payments, facility rental fees, purchases of cultural merchandise, event ticket sales, and, most importantly, monetary donations made to support our mission, and this data is collected solely for the purposes of completing the financial transaction, issuing official receipts for tax and accounting purposes, and maintaining an accurate record of donor and patron support history. This collected financial data encompasses details necessary for processing payments, such as credit or debit card numbers, the corresponding expiration dates, security codes, and the billing addresses associated with the payment instrument, alongside details concerning the specific amount of the payment or donation and the designation of the funds, if specified by the individual, and it is imperative to note that in almost all digital transactions, the sensitive payment card data is processed directly by secure, PCI DSS compliant third-party payment processors and is never stored on the Center’s internal servers or databases, minimizing the risk of exposure and leveraging industry-leading encryption standards for maximum security. Only the confirmation of the transaction, the last four digits of the payment card (where necessary for reference), the billing information, and the amount are securely retained in our records for the mandated financial auditing and non-profit reporting requirements, upholding both legal compliance and our fiduciary responsibility to our community of donors and patrons.

Non-Personal, Technical, and Digital Activity Data

In addition to the direct collection of PII, the African American Arts and Culture Community Center’s operation of its digital platforms, including its primary website, online learning portals, and communication services, inevitably leads to the automated collection of Non-Personal Information (Non-PII), technical data, and digital activity metrics from all visitors, and this data is not used to identify individuals directly but is aggregated and analyzed to assess the effectiveness of our online presence, optimize website performance, enhance user experience, and guide our digital outreach strategies, ensuring our cultural resources are accessible and engaging to the widest possible audience. This category of information includes technical data such as the user’s Internet Protocol (IP) address, the type of web browser used, the operating system of the accessing device, the domain name of the internet service provider, and the referring website or search engine that directed the visitor to our platform, alongside detailed usage data capturing the pages viewed, the time spent on specific website sections, the documents or resources downloaded from our digital archive, and the frequency of visits to different parts of the website. This Non-PII is collected through standard industry tools, primarily cookies, web beacons, and similar tracking technologies, and is treated with the same confidentiality as other information, but it is fundamentally distinct in that it cannot reasonably be used by the Center, in isolation, to definitively ascertain the identity of a specific natural person, thereby respecting the general anonymity of casual website browsing while allowing us to continuously improve the delivery of our digital cultural mission.

Methods of Information Collection: Direct, Automated, and Third-Party

Direct Collection Through Enrollment, Documentation, and Financial Transactions

The most common and primary method through which the African American Arts and Culture Community Center gathers personal information is through direct, voluntary interactions with individuals, which primarily occurs during the formal processes of enrollment in our educational and artistic programs, registration for public events and specialized workshops, submission of applications for employment or volunteer service, or the completion of donation forms and purchase transactions, whether conducted in person via physical paper forms or digitally through our secure online portals. When a family enrolls a student, they directly provide all necessary PII, health information, and emergency contacts through our dedicated registration system, understanding that this information is essential for the student’s safety, proper placement, and effective communication, and similarly, when an individual chooses to support our mission through a charitable donation, they directly provide their financial and contact information necessary to process the gift and issue the legally required documentation for tax purposes. These direct interactions are always accompanied by clear context explaining the reason for the data collection, and in all instances where the data is particularly sensitive, such as health forms or financial details, the Center utilizes explicit opt-in mechanisms and privacy notices to ensure that the individual is fully aware of what information they are sharing, why it is necessary, and how it will be protected and used exclusively for the organizational purposes defined at the point of collection, underscoring our commitment to obtaining personal data fairly and with informed consent from every member of our community.

Automated Collection via Our Digital Platforms and Tracking Technologies

A second, entirely different mechanism for gathering information involves automated collection that occurs whenever an individual accesses, interacts with, or navigates our official website and associated digital properties, where technical and usage data are automatically recorded by the digital infrastructure of our systems using standard industry technologies, primarily to facilitate the operation of the website, analyze traffic patterns, and improve the user’s experience without requiring any manual input from the visitor. This automated collection process utilizes cookies, which are small text files placed on your device by our server, and similar tracking technologies, such as pixel tags and web beacons, which collectively allow our systems to recognize repeat visitors, remember user preferences (like language settings or viewing history), manage secure access to restricted areas like online learning portals, and gather aggregate statistical information regarding website usage, such as the total number of unique visitors and the most frequently accessed pages. While this automated data collection is generally non-personal in nature, focused on technical and usage metrics, we fully respect the individual’s right to control their digital footprint, and therefore, our website provides clear notices regarding the use of these tracking technologies, and users are explicitly given the opportunity to manage their cookie preferences or utilize their web browser’s settings to block or delete cookies, though we caution that restricting certain essential cookies may impair the full functionality of some areas of our digital resources, particularly secure log-in zones and personalized archival access tools.

Information Received from Trusted Third-Party Sources and Partners

In select, mission-specific circumstances, the African American Arts and Culture Community Center may also receive personal or contact information about individuals from trusted third-party sources and community partners, which significantly aids our outreach, fundraising, and cultural collaboration efforts, and this information is only utilized if it is publicly available, if the third party guarantees they have secured the necessary consent from the individual for sharing, or if the sharing is explicitly authorized by law or a pre-existing contractual agreement with the individual. Examples of data received from third parties include contact details provided by an affiliate organization when co-sponsoring a joint cultural event or educational program, aggregated demographic data provided by a grant-funding body to help us assess the reach and effectiveness of our programming in underserved communities, or, in the specific context of fundraising, commercially available contact and biographical information that assists our Development team in identifying potential philanthropic partners who align with our cultural and educational mission. The AAACCC maintains a strict vetting process for all third-party data sources, requiring explicit confirmation that the information has been collected and shared ethically and legally, and any information received from these external sources is immediately integrated into our existing security and confidentiality protocols, ensuring that it is treated with the same protective measures and governed by the same restrictive usage principles as the data collected directly from the individual themselves.

The Purposes for Which We Utilize Collected Information

Delivering Core Educational and Cultural Programs and Services

The primary and most fundamental purpose for the collection and processing of personal information by the African American Arts and Culture Community Center is the effective delivery, management, and quality control of our core educational, artistic, and cultural programs and services, which constitutes the very heart of our mission, ensuring that every enrolled student, volunteer, or program participant receives the highest quality, most secure, and most personalized experience possible from their engagement with the Center. This vital function includes using names, contact details, and program enrollment history to manage class rosters, schedule and communicate logistical details regarding classes, workshops, and performances, issue official student identification cards or access credentials for online learning portals, and process the necessary administrative paperwork related to program completion, certification, or academic credit, where applicable. Crucially, we utilize the collected health and emergency contact information, which is subject to heightened security and access restrictions, for the sole and necessary purpose of ensuring the immediate safety and well-being of minors and all participants while they are under our care, enabling our staff to rapidly contact authorized guardians or emergency medical services in the event of an accident, illness, or emergency, thereby fulfilling our essential duty of care and providing a secure environment for creative expression and learning within our cultural facilities.

Internal Operations, Administrative Management, and Fiscal Oversight

A secondary, yet equally essential, purpose for the processing of collected personal data involves the management of the AAACCC’s complex internal operations, robust administrative functions, and strict fiscal oversight, ensuring the organization runs efficiently, complies with all legal and regulatory requirements applicable to non-profit entities, and maintains the highest standards of financial accountability to our donors and community stakeholders. This operational usage includes the processing of staff and contractor payroll, benefits administration, and performance reviews utilizing employment data; conducting necessary background checks and managing scheduling for our dedicated volunteer corps; utilizing donor and transaction history for accurate bookkeeping, external financial audits, and the legally mandated issuance of tax-deductible contribution receipts; and employing aggregated data on program enrollment and attendance for internal resource allocation decisions, capacity planning, and the continuous review of program efficacy and cost-effectiveness. Furthermore, collected technical data and website usage metrics are employed by our administrative and IT departments for essential internal functions such as identifying and resolving technical issues within our digital infrastructure, maintaining the security of our internal networks and data processing systems against external threats, and planning for necessary technological upgrades to ensure the continued accessibility and robustness of our digital cultural resources for all members of our community.

Communication, Outreach, and Community Engagement Activities

The AAACCC utilizes collected contact information, including physical addresses and email addresses, for essential communication, community outreach, and engagement activities designed to keep our extensive network of supporters, students, and stakeholders fully informed of the Center’s vibrant life, critical progress, and upcoming opportunities to participate in our mission, fostering a strong, connected cultural community throughout the region. This communication strategy includes the dissemination of our regular e-newsletters detailing upcoming exhibitions, performance schedules, and cultural lectures; sending direct, targeted communications to enrolled families regarding program updates, student progress, and urgent administrative announcements; mailing official seasonal appeal letters and annual reports to our valued donor base; and issuing specialized invitations to volunteers, alumni, and community partners for exclusive events, previews, and focus groups that require targeted outreach and engagement. All promotional and non-essential communications, such particularly our general e-newsletters and fundraising appeals, are managed with a strict adherence to opt-out principles, providing a clear, simple, and readily accessible mechanism within every digital communication, typically an “Unsubscribe” link, that allows recipients to instantly and permanently manage their communication preferences, ensuring that our outreach remains respectful of individual choices while effectively promoting the Center’s mission.

Fundraising, Philanthropy, and Donor Development Initiatives

A critical and necessary function supported by the use of collected data is the AAACCC’s vital work in fundraising, philanthropy, and donor development, which is absolutely essential to secure the necessary financial resources to sustain our cultural preservation efforts, subsidize our educational programs to ensure access for all families regardless of income, and facilitate the acquisition and maintenance of our invaluable archival and artistic collections, which are available to the public and scholars. In this context, we use donor names, contribution amounts, and donation history to accurately recognize and steward our supporters, issue public acknowledgments (with prior explicit donor consent), personalize our fundraising communications to align with a donor’s stated interests in our mission (e.g., historical preservation versus youth arts education), and conduct necessary wealth screening or philanthropic research on public records to identify and engage with individuals who possess the capacity and inclination to provide substantial, mission-critical support for the Center’s long-term sustainability. This work is performed with the utmost discretion and ethical consideration, focusing exclusively on furthering the Center’s non-profit mission, and any donor who wishes their name or donation details to remain anonymous, or who wishes to opt-out entirely from any future fundraising communications, is provided with clear, easy-to-use mechanisms to communicate their preferences to our Development Office, which are immediately and permanently honored in all of our communications and internal records management systems.

Disclosure, Sharing, and Legal Obligations Regarding Your Information

Sharing with Essential Third-Party Service Providers and Contractors

The African American Arts and Culture Community Center is a complex organization that relies on the expertise of various trusted third-party service providers and contractors to efficiently manage essential technical and administrative functions that cannot be effectively handled internally, and in the necessary course of this work, we are required to share certain categories of personal information with these vetted vendors, but this sharing is strictly limited to the data necessary for the vendor to perform their contracted duties on our explicit behalf. These essential service providers include specialized companies that manage our secure payment processing gateway, third-party software vendors that host and maintain our secure online learning management systems and website infrastructure, professional mailing houses responsible for printing and distributing our annual reports and mass mailings, and independent auditors and legal counsel who require access to financial and organizational records to ensure our continuous legal compliance. In every single instance where information is shared, the AAACCC executes a legally binding Data Processing Addendum (DPA) with the third party, which explicitly prohibits the vendor from using the shared personal information for any purpose other than fulfilling their contractual obligations to the Center, mandates that they implement and maintain robust security and confidentiality protocols, and requires them to return or securely delete the data upon the completion of the service, ensuring the Center retains full control and accountability for your information at all times, even when it is processed externally.

Compliance with Legal Obligations and Protection of Rights

Notwithstanding our rigorous commitment to privacy, the AAACCC reserves the right to disclose personal information when we reasonably believe such disclosure is necessary to comply with applicable legal obligations, governmental requests, or judicial processes, or when we deem it necessary to protect the rights, property, or safety of the Center, our staff, our students, or the general public, including in situations involving potential threats to physical safety, fraud prevention, or investigations into suspected illegal activities within our premises or digital platforms. This limited disclosure may occur when we are served with a valid subpoena, court order, or warrant requiring the release of specific records, or in situations where we are legally required to report instances of abuse, neglect, or harm to relevant governmental or child protective service agencies, particularly as an organization that provides supervised care and education to minors. In the event of a legally compelled disclosure, the AAACCC makes every effort, consistent with the specific legal constraints of the request, to notify the affected individual that their information has been sought or released, and our legal team takes careful measures to ensure that only the minimum amount of personal data strictly required to satisfy the legal or protective requirement is ever released, maintaining our commitment to limiting the exposure of sensitive information even under duress of law.

Disclosure to Community Partners and Affiliated Organizations (Anonymized Data)

In our ongoing efforts to assess our impact, secure grant funding, and effectively target our outreach programs to underserved communities, the African American Arts and Culture Community Center may share aggregated, anonymized, or statistical data with trusted community partners, grant-making foundations, and affiliated educational organizations, but this data sharing is conducted under strict confidentiality agreements and never includes any Personally Identifiable Information (PII) that could reasonably be used to trace the data back to a specific individual or family, thereby promoting our mission while fully safeguarding individual anonymity. This shared data, which typically involves statistics on the total number of students served, demographic breakdowns of program participants, regional attendance rates for public events, and aggregate metrics on website traffic patterns, is instrumental in demonstrating the Center’s programmatic success and cultural reach to funders and collaborators, justifying the continued investment in our mission-critical activities and aiding us in strategic planning for future expansion of our educational offerings. This practice of sharing only non-personal, de-identified data allows the AAACCC to fulfill its public reporting obligations and amplify its impact through strategic alliances without compromising the fundamental privacy commitments we have made to every member of our diverse and dedicated community.

Data Security, Protection, and Retention Policies

Multi-Layered Security Measures and Technical Safeguards

The security of your personal information is a non-negotiable priority for the African American Arts and Culture Community Center, and we have implemented a comprehensive, multi-layered system of physical, technical, and administrative safeguards designed to protect all data, regardless of its format (digital or hard copy), from unauthorized access, accidental loss, unlawful destruction, or unauthorized disclosure, reflecting our understanding that robust security is essential to maintaining the trust of our community. Technical safeguards include the use of industry-standard Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption for all data transmitted via our website and online portals, advanced firewall technologies to monitor and restrict unauthorized network access, mandatory multi-factor authentication for all staff accessing sensitive internal databases, and regular, institution-wide vulnerability scanning and penetration testing conducted by certified third-party security experts to proactively identify and mitigate potential digital weaknesses within our infrastructure. Physical safeguards include restricted, key-card access to all administrative offices and archival storage facilities, monitored surveillance within secure data centers, and locked, fire-resistant cabinets for the secure storage of any necessary physical documentation, ensuring that all information, whether digital or paper-based, is protected by continuous, overlapping layers of defense against internal or external compromise, consistently reviewing and updating our security posture to address evolving digital threats.

Administrative Controls and Staff Training Protocols

Complementing our technical and physical defenses, the African American Arts and Culture Community Center enforces strict administrative controls and mandatory staff training protocols designed to ensure that data security is not merely a technological function but a core component of our organizational culture, recognizing that human factors are often the most critical element in any security framework. All employees, volunteers, and contractors who are granted access to any form of personal data are required to undergo comprehensive, recurring training sessions that cover all aspects of this Privacy Policy, proper data handling procedures, recognition of phishing and social engineering attempts, and the absolute necessity of adhering to our established internal security protocols, with access granted only on a strictly enforced “need-to-know” basis that is continuously audited and reviewed by the Executive Director and IT team. Furthermore, we enforce clear internal disciplinary policies, including immediate termination, for any staff member found to be in violation of our data security or confidentiality protocols, underscoring the severity with which the Center treats its responsibility for data protection, and all staff are required to sign a formal confidentiality agreement as a condition of their employment or service, legally affirming their commitment to protecting the privacy and security of all personal information entrusted to the AAACCC by our diverse and valued community.

Data Retention Policy: Principles and Duration of Storage

The African American Arts and Culture Community Center adheres to a rigorous Data Retention Policy that mandates the secure disposal or permanent anonymization of personal information once it is no longer necessary for the specific operational, legal, or archival purposes for which it was originally collected, ensuring that we do not retain data for indefinite periods and thereby minimizing the potential risks associated with prolonged data storage. The duration for which we retain specific categories of data is determined by several interlocking factors, including the length of the individual’s active relationship with the Center (e.g., the enrollment period of a student or the active service term of a volunteer), the specific legal and regulatory requirements applicable to certain types of records (such as financial records that must be kept for seven years for tax purposes or employment records mandated by labor law), and the essential need to preserve historical or archival data that is vital to the Center’s mission, such as permanent records of our alumni, past exhibitions, and donor history, which are often retained in a de-identified or aggregated format for historical research and reporting. Upon the determination that specific personal data has exceeded its defined retention period, the Center utilizes secure, certified methods for destruction, including cross-shredding for hard-copy documents and cryptographic erasure or destruction of physical storage media for digital records, ensuring that the disposal process is irreversible and that the data cannot be reconstructed or recovered by any unauthorized party.

Your Rights, Choices, and Control Over Your Information

Right to Access, Correction, and Review of Your Personal Data

Every individual whose personal information is processed by the African American Arts and Culture Community Center possesses a fundamental Right to Access the specific personal data we hold about them, the Right to Correction of any data that is found to be inaccurate, outdated, or incomplete, and the Right to Review the entire scope of their personal record maintained by our administrative and programmatic departments, thereby ensuring transparency and accuracy in our data governance practices. Upon receipt of a verifiable written request, submitted through the formal contact channels detailed at the conclusion of this policy, the Center commits to providing the individual with a clear, concise, and comprehensive account of the personal information we maintain, the sources from which it was collected, the purposes for its processing, and the categories of third parties with whom it may have been shared, all within the legally mandated response timeframe of thirty days from the verification of identity. Should an individual identify any inaccuracy in the provided record, we will take immediate, commercially reasonable steps to correct, amend, or update the information in our active records and will, where practical and necessary, notify any relevant third parties to whom the inaccurate information was previously disclosed, ensuring the integrity and veracity of the data we hold is continuously maintained across all systems.

Right to Deletion, Restriction of Processing, and Objection

Individuals also possess the Right to Request the Deletion of their personal information from our active records, commonly referred to as the “right to be forgotten,” when the data is no longer necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, when consent is withdrawn (and no other legal basis for processing exists), or when the individual objects to the processing and the Center has no overriding legitimate grounds to continue, thereby empowering individuals with control over the persistence of their digital and administrative footprint. Furthermore, you have the Right to Request the Restriction of Processing of your personal data, which limits our ability to process the data while its accuracy is contested, the processing is deemed unlawful, or when the data is no longer needed by us but is required by you for the establishment, exercise, or defense of legal claims, effectively putting a temporary hold on our data usage. Finally, you retain the Right to Object to the Processing of your personal information where the basis of the processing is our legitimate interests (such as fundraising activities) and not a contractual or legal obligation, and should you exercise this right, the AAACCC will cease such processing immediately unless we can demonstrate compelling legitimate grounds for the processing that override your specific interests, rights, and freedoms, with all these requests requiring formal submission to our dedicated Privacy Contact for prompt review and execution in accordance with relevant legal frameworks.

Opt-Out Rights and Managing Communication Preferences

The African American Arts and Culture Community Center provides clear, straightforward, and easily actionable Opt-Out Rights for all non-essential and promotional communications, empowering every individual to manage precisely how and when they receive communications from us regarding events, appeals, newsletters, and general organizational updates, ensuring that our outreach efforts are always respectful of personal boundaries and preferences. Every electronic communication sent by the Center for marketing or fundraising purposes, including our periodic e-newsletters and event announcements, contains a prominent, fully functional “Unsubscribe” link located at the bottom of the email, which allows the recipient to instantly and irrevocably remove their contact information from that specific mailing list with a single click, without the need for additional administrative steps or communication with our staff, thereby granting immediate control. Individuals can also formally submit a request to the Contact Officer to be permanently placed on a Do Not Contact list for all future communications, including physical mailings and phone solicitations, and our administrative team will promptly update our records to honor this preference, noting that while we strive for immediate compliance, it may take a short period for recently printed materials or mailings already in transit to cease entirely, and this opt-out does not, however, extend to essential administrative communications necessary for program safety, tuition payment reminders, or legally required disclosures.

Cookies, Tracking Technologies, and Children’s Privacy

Detailed Policy on Cookies and Other Tracking Technologies

Our commitment to transparency extends to the use of Cookies and Other Tracking Technologies on the African American Arts and Culture Community Center website, which are essential for its operation, performance optimization, and the analysis of user interaction, and we ensure that all visitors are fully informed about their function and their explicit rights regarding their use. We utilize several types of cookies: Strictly Necessary Cookies that are vital for core website functionality, such as maintaining secure log-in sessions and remembering items in a cart, which cannot be disabled as they are essential for the site to work; Performance/Analytical Cookies that collect aggregated, anonymous information on how visitors use the site (e.g., which pages are most popular) to help us improve its structure and content; and Functionality Cookies that remember choices you make (like your preferred language or region) to provide enhanced, more personalized features. Upon your first visit, our website presents a prominent Cookie Consent Banner that clearly explains the use of these technologies and allows you to customize your preferences, accepting only essential cookies, opting out of non-essential analytical cookies, or accepting all, and you can also manage or delete these cookies at any time through your individual web browser settings, demonstrating our commitment to providing granular control over your digital experience with our cultural resources.

Specific Provisions Regarding the Privacy of Children (Minors)

The African American Arts and Culture Community Center, as an organization dedicated to the education and well-being of youth, adheres strictly to all applicable laws governing the privacy of minors, including the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) regarding children under the age of thirteen (13), and we maintain specific, heightened protocols to ensure the security and integrity of their personal information, recognizing the special responsibility we hold when processing data related to children. We do not knowingly collect PII from children under the age of 13 through our website or digital platforms without the prior, verifiable Consent of a Parent or Legal Guardian for participation in programs where such information is necessary for enrollment, safety, or access to online learning tools, and this consent is obtained directly from the parent or guardian during the formal, in-person or securely digital enrollment process prior to the child’s participation. Any personal information collected from minors is strictly limited to what is essential for safety and program delivery, such as name, age, and emergency contact details, and is never used for marketing purposes or shared with any third party for commercial gain, and parents retain the absolute right at any time to review the personal information we have collected from their child, revoke their consent for the collection and use of that information, and request that the information be immediately and securely deleted from our active records, ensuring that parental control over the data of their children is fully and respectfully maintained at all times.

Policy Updates and Formal Contact Information

Notification of Updates and Changes to this Privacy Policy

The nature of the digital landscape, legal frameworks, and our organizational operations may necessitate periodic changes or updates to this Privacy Policy, and the African American Arts and Culture Community Center reserves the right to amend, revise, or update this document at any time to accurately reflect changes in our data processing practices or to maintain compliance with evolving regulatory requirements, such as those related to new state or federal privacy legislation. Whenever substantial, material changes are made to this policy, particularly those that affect the core purposes for which we process your personal information, the AAACCC commits to notifying all affected individuals through prominent and readily visible means, including posting a clear announcement on the homepage of our official website, updating the “Last Revised” date prominently displayed at the beginning of this document, and, where appropriate and feasible, sending a direct notification to the email addresses of enrolled families and registered users who may be most affected by the changes. We encourage all individuals to periodically review this Privacy Policy to remain fully informed about how the Center is protecting the information entrusted to us, and your continued engagement with our programs, services, or website following the posting of any revised terms signifies your full understanding and acceptance of the updated policy.

Formal Contact and Data Protection Inquiries

Should you have any questions, comments, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy, the specific categories of personal information the African American Arts and Culture Community Center maintains about you, or to exercise any of your stipulated rights including access, correction, deletion, or objection, all formal communications must be directed to our dedicated Privacy Contact Officer through the specific written channels detailed below, ensuring that your sensitive inquiry is handled confidentially and tracked through our official data protection protocol for verifiable response and resolution.

Data Privacy Contact Officer African American Arts and Culture Community Center (AAACCC)

Official Mailing Address for Formal Requests: PO BOX 7366 Stockton, CA 95212 Please clearly mark the envelope: “ATTN: Privacy Officer – Confidential”

Dedicated Email Address for Privacy Inquiries: info@aacc.lat Please use the Subject Line: “FORMAL PRIVACY INQUIRY”

We commit to acknowledging all verifiable written inquiries regarding privacy matters within ten (10) business days and to fully resolving the matter within the necessary legal timeframe, treating every communication with the utmost seriousness, diligence, and commitment to the robust protection of your personal information.