Privacy Policy

Realm Forge Academy LLC

realmforgeacademy.com

Last Updated: 2026

Our Commitment to Your Privacy

Realm Forge Academy LLC ("RFA," "we," "us," or "our") is committed to protecting the privacy of every student who uses our platform — especially our younger students. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, how we protect it, and what rights you have over your data.

If you are a parent or guardian enrolling a student under 18, this policy applies to your child's data and we encourage you to read it carefully.

1. Who This Policy Covers

This Privacy Policy applies to:

All students who enroll in or use the Realm Forge Academy platform at realmforgeacademy.com
Parents and guardians who enroll minor students on their behalf
Visitors to our website

This policy does not apply to third-party websites, platforms, or services that may be referenced or linked from our platform. Those services have their own privacy policies which you are responsible for reviewing.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide Directly

At Enrollment:

Full name
Email address
Age or date of birth
Parent or guardian name and contact information (required for students under 18)
Subscription plan selection

Payment Information:

We collect billing information necessary to process your subscription. All payment transactions are processed by Stripe, our third-party payment processor. RFA does not store your full credit card number, CVV, or complete payment details on our servers. Stripe's privacy policy governs the handling of your payment data and is available at stripe.com/privacy.

Student-Created Content:

Creative work produced on the platform — including realm designs, lore documents, world-building materials, pitch decks, and capstone projects — is stored on our servers and remains your intellectual property as described in our Terms of Service.

2.2 Information Generated Through Platform Use

Ember Journal Conversation Data:

When you use the Ember Journal, your conversation exchanges with Ember are stored privately on our servers. This data is accessible only to you. Instructors and RFA staff can see only that a reflection was submitted, the date of submission, and the number of exchanges — not the content. See Section 5 for full details on Ember Journal privacy.

Course Progress and Completion Data:

We track which courses and lessons you have completed, your progress through the pathway, and reflection submission status. This data is used to deliver the platform experience and support your learning journey.

Usage Data:

We collect information about how you use the platform, including pages visited, features accessed, time spent on lessons, and navigation patterns. This data is used to improve the platform experience.

Device and Browser Information:

We automatically collect technical information including your device type, operating system, browser type and version, IP address, and general geographic location (country/region level). This information is used for platform security, compatibility, and performance.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

To deliver the platform and educational services:

Creating and managing your student account
Providing access to courses, Ember AI companion, Ember Journal, Hearthfire Archives, and all platform features
Tracking course progress and issuing graduation credentials
Providing student support and responding to inquiries

To maintain and improve the platform:

Analyzing usage patterns to improve course content and platform features
Diagnosing and resolving technical issues
Ensuring platform security and preventing fraud

To communicate with you:

Sending account-related notifications (billing, enrollment confirmation, policy updates)
Sending course progress updates and platform announcements
Responding to support requests

We do not use your data for:

Selling or renting your personal information to third parties
Targeted advertising or ad networks
Any purpose unrelated to delivering and improving the Realm Forge Academy platform

4. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell your personal information. We share information only in the following limited circumstances:

4.1 Service Providers

We work with trusted third-party service providers who process data on our behalf under confidentiality obligations. These include:

Stripe — payment processing
AI Service Provider(s) — powering the Ember AI companion and journal functionality
Platform Hosting Provider — infrastructure and data storage
Email Service Provider — account notifications and communications

These providers are permitted to use your data only to provide services to RFA and are contractually prohibited from using it for any other purpose.

4.2 Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information if required to do so by law, court order, or governmental authority, or if we believe disclosure is necessary to protect the rights, safety, or property of RFA, our students, or the public.

4.3 Business Transfers

If RFA is involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, student data may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify affected students via email before their data is transferred and becomes subject to a different privacy policy.

4.4 With Your Consent

We may share your information for any other purpose with your explicit prior consent.

5. Ember Journal Privacy

The Ember Journal is designed to be a private, safe space for authentic reflection. We take this commitment seriously and have built specific protections around journal data:

Journal content is private to the student. No instructor, administrator, or RFA staff member can read the content of your Ember Journal conversations.
Instructors see completion data only — whether a reflection was submitted, when it was submitted, and the number of exchanges. Nothing more.
Journal data is never used for marketing, advertising, or shared with third parties beyond the AI service provider necessary to operate the Ember system, which is bound by confidentiality obligations.
Safety exception: If Ember detects language that may indicate a student is in crisis or danger, a safety protocol may be triggered to connect the student with appropriate resources. This narrow exception exists solely to protect student safety and is not general access to journal content.

6. Children's Privacy — Students Under 18

6.1 Our Platform and Minors

The World Forge Pathway is designed for students ages 16 and older. This is the recommended minimum age based on the academic and creative demands of the curriculum. Students ages 13–15 may enroll only with verified parental or guardian consent and with the parent's acknowledgment that the curriculum is designed for older students. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.

6.2 Parental Rights

If your child is under 18 and enrolled on our platform, you have the right to:

Review the personal information we have collected about your child
Request correction of inaccurate information
Request deletion of your child's account and associated data
Withdraw consent for your child's continued use of the platform

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at support@realmforgeacademy.com. We will respond within 30 days.

6.3 No Marketing to Minors

We do not use the personal information of students under 18 for marketing, advertising, or promotional purposes of any kind.

6.4 Ember Journal and Minor Students

The Ember Journal privacy protections described in Section 5 apply fully and equally to all students regardless of age. Minor students' journal content is private and protected in the same manner as adult students' content.

7. Data Security

We implement reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures include:

Encrypted data transmission (SSL/TLS)
Secure password storage using industry-standard hashing
Access controls limiting staff access to personal data
Regular security assessments of our platform

No method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your data, we cannot guarantee absolute security. If you believe your account has been compromised, contact us immediately at support@realmforgeacademy.com.

8. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide services. Specifically:

Account data is retained for the duration of your subscription and for 90 days following account closure
Payment and billing records are retained for 7 years as required for tax and accounting purposes, even after account closure
Ember Journal data is retained for the duration of your subscription and deleted within 90 days of account closure
Course progress and completion data is retained for 3 years following account closure to support credential verification requests
Usage and device data is retained for 24 months and then aggregated or deleted

9. Your Privacy Rights

9.1 Access and Correction

You have the right to access the personal information we hold about you and to request correction of any inaccurate data. Contact us at support@realmforgeacademy.com to make a request.

9.2 Data Deletion

You have the right to request deletion of your personal information. Upon receiving a verified deletion request, we will delete your data within 30 days, subject to the following exceptions:

Payment and billing records required for legal and tax compliance
Course completion records required for credential verification
Any data we are required to retain by law

9.3 Opt-Out of Marketing License

As described in our Terms of Service, you may opt out of our limited marketing license to display your student-created work at any time by contacting support@realmforgeacademy.com.

9.4 Account Closure

You may close your account at any time by cancelling your subscription and submitting a written closure request to support@realmforgeacademy.com.

10. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our platform uses cookies and similar tracking technologies to maintain your session, remember your preferences, and analyze platform usage. You may configure your browser to refuse cookies, but doing so may affect your ability to use certain platform features.

We do not use third-party advertising cookies or tracking pixels. Any analytics tools we use are configured to protect user privacy and are not used to build advertising profiles.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make material changes, we will notify you by email at least 14 days before the changes take effect. Your continued use of the platform after changes take effect constitutes your acceptance of the revised policy.

We encourage you to review this policy periodically. The "Last Updated" date at the top of this page reflects the most recent revision.

12. Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or your personal data, please contact us:

Realm Forge Academy LLC
Sedro-Woolley, Washington
support@realmforgeacademy.com
realmforgeacademy.com

We will respond to all privacy-related inquiries within 30 days.