We at the Catholic Homeschool Support and Enrichment Network (CHOSEN) take protecting your privacy seriously. That’s why we’ve put this policy in place so that you know what information we collect from you, why we collect it, and what happens to it once we collect it. We do not share, rent, sell, or trade your email or other contact information with anyone without your permission. In return, we ask that you read and understand this policy and treat other members’ data with the same consideration.
What data do we collect, and why?
As part of the registration process, we collect personal information. We use the names and contact information (email, phone, address) of members for a couple of reasons: to tell you about stuff you’ve asked us to tell you about; to contact you if we need to obtain or provide additional information; to check our records are right; provide services to you via our email list; so that you can be listed in our Membership Directory; and to check every now and then that you’re happy and satisfied.
We also ask you for the following additional pieces of information to list in that directory to facilitate mutual support among our members.
- Names and grade levels or ages of children
- Curriculum used
- Home Parish
The first names and birth years or grade levels of your children facilitate various activities from play dates to co-ops. Listing the curriculum you use enables members to find others who are using the same methods they are currently using, interested in, or struggling with. Including the parish you belong to helps locate homeschoolers in the same parish, since we don't have a secret handshake/badge ;-)
Directory Options
You have the option not to be listed in the directory, or to skip providing some or all information on your children, although you may miss out on opportunities to have other members connect with you. If you include more than one email or phone number in your application, you can also choose which one you want listed, by entering that one as the “primary” one.
Please note that if you do choose to opt out of the directory, you will also not receive a copy of it. The opt-out works in both directions.
Email Lists and Privacy
A full description of our email lists is available here.
You should know that when you write an email to one of our lists, you show your email and display name to others on the list. In addition, the emails you write today become part of an email archive that may be accessed by you, by other members today, and by future members of CHOSEN. By using our lists, you agree to this potential future access of this limited information.
How long do we keep your data?
We’ve already talked about how some personal information (your email address and display name and anything you choose to share in your messages) may remain accessible indefinitely to present and future members.
However, your directory information will be purged or updated every year as part of the membership renewal process. Sometime after our membership renewal window closes, usually in October, we remove anyone who has not renewed from our email list and member directory and update the information for renewing members. Please see “Amending your personal information,” below, for how to change or delete the information we have collected at other times.
We (CHOSEN) may retain old membership lists for purposes such as determining how long a person has been a member.
How may you use the directory?
As we’ve said, the membership directory is intended to facilitate mutual support among our members by providing basic yet critical information. You not only may but are encouraged to use the information to contact other members to arrange activities for your children, ask questions, for social purposes, and so on.
You may not use the information for purposes such as marketing or soliciting, for creating your own email lists (whether for commercial or other purposes), etc. Perhaps obviously, you also may not share any of the contents of this directory with non-members.
A violation of this policy will result in the member being removed from the group and may result in legal action.
You must agree to these policies to become a member of CHOSEN.
Who else has access to this information?
Group members who have not opted out receive an electronic copy of our membership directory at least once a year. Because of this, every member of the group has access to the information that you agree to be listed in it. Although we have a policy in place forbidding misuse of this information, we are not able to police its use. Please understand that other members might not take privacy as seriously as we do, and we can only act after the fact. However, please do notify us if you believe you are being contacted through an unauthorized use of the membership directory, so that we may investigate and take appropriate action.
Amending your personal information
You may view your personal data that we have collected in the latest edition of the Membership Directory. If you find an error or no longer wish to be a member, please contact our Membership Volunteer at [email protected] to request that we amend or delete your information. You may also use our email lists to let other members know of your updated information.
Changes to this Privacy Policy
As laws change and as our services change, we will periodically update this privacy policy. This Privacy Policy was last amended on 14 March 2020.