Your path is personal. Your information should be protected.

What we collect

Explore can be used without an account. We may collect an optional first name or nickname, broad age range, state, interests, and current stage to personalize recommendations. Account, mentorship, submission, and contact forms collect only the information shown in those forms. We do not ask for a child’s legal name, exact address, school, phone number, identity documents, or precise location for Explore.

Children under 13

Children under 13 may use Explore in private session mode with a parent or guardian without saving answers. An adult parent or legal guardian may also request a parent-managed, private Explore profile. Gateway does not collect the child’s nickname, broad age range, state, or interests until the parent receives the complete notice, affirmatively responds, and receives a delayed second confirmation with revocation controls. Under-13 mentorship remains unavailable. Open parent controls.

Teen accounts and mentorship

Accounts are currently available for ages 13 and older. A mentorship request from someone aged 13–17 requires a parent or guardian email and confirmation. No match begins until Gateway separately verifies consent and completes its safety review.

How information is used

Information is used to provide recommendations, maintain saved items and roadmaps, review community submissions, respond to messages, and safely administer mentorship. Gateway does not sell personal information or use youth information for behavioral advertising.

Sharing and visibility

Explore profiles, mentor applications, mentee applications, guardian details, and contact submissions are not public. Access is limited to the submitting user where applicable, authorized Gateway administrators, and carefully selected service providers performing necessary operations. Mentors do not receive a minor’s home address, school, private contact details, or precise location.

Service providers

Gateway currently uses Supabase for protected database storage and authentication, Vercel for website hosting, Resend for transactional email, Cloudflare Turnstile for spam and abuse prevention, and Stripe for payment processing. Each provider receives only the information needed for its role and operates under its own privacy and security terms.

Cookies and similar technology

Gateway and its service providers may use necessary cookies or similar technology to keep an account session working, prevent abuse, and process a request you make. Gateway does not use youth information for behavioral advertising. If optional analytics, advertising, or new providers are added, this policy will be updated before they are used.

Retention, access, and deletion

We keep personal information only as long as needed for the purpose described, safety obligations, or applicable legal requirements. Private applications and contact records are retained while they are under review or active. When an application or inquiry is declined or closed, the database schedules it for deletion after 90 days unless a documented safety, fraud, dispute, or legal need requires longer retention. Parent-managed child Explore profiles are deleted when a parent revokes consent, and the associated consent record expires or is revoked according to its consent controls. Newsletter subscriptions remain until you unsubscribe or request deletion. A user or guardian may request access, correction, or deletion.

Records are stored in Supabase with encrypted connections and provider-managed encryption at rest. Gateway limits access through database policies and administrator controls. Transactional emails and abuse-prevention services may temporarily process the information needed to deliver a message or protect a form; Gateway does not treat those provider logs as a permanent application record and will request deletion where the provider offers that control.

Contact

For privacy questions, use the Gateway contact form. For an access, correction, consent, or deletion request, use the private data-request form. Do not include sensitive personal information in either message.