Privacy Policy

Palekana Aquatics Academy (PAA)

Palekana Aquatics Academy (“PAA,” “we,” “our,” or “us”) respects your privacy and is committed to protecting the personal information you share with us. Palekana Aquatics Academy is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) educational organization formed in 2025 and dedicated to aquatic injury prevention. To reduce drownings and other aquatic injuries in Hawaiʻi, PAA provides and supports water safety education that elevates competence in aquatics and enables individuals to more safely interact with aquatic environments.

By using our website, palekanaaquatics.org, you agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy.

We may collect both non-personal and personal information. Non-personal information may include your IP address, browser type, device information, pages visited, time spent on the website, and referring websites. This information helps us understand how visitors use our website and improve its performance and user experience. Personal information may be collected when you fill out a contact form, register for programs or events, make a donation, subscribe to communications, or contact us directly. This information may include your name, email address, phone number, mailing address, and any other information you choose to provide. If participation involves minors, information should be provided by a parent or legal guardian.

We use the information we collect to provide, maintain, and improve our educational programs and services, respond to inquiries, communicate with you, process donations and provide receipts, share updates about programs and initiatives, and maintain internal records. As a nonprofit organization, we do not sell or use your information for commercial resale or profit-driven marketing purposes.

We may contact you via email to share updates about water safety programs, provide important organizational announcements, and offer opportunities to support our mission. You may opt out of non-essential communications at any time by following the unsubscribe instructions included in our emails or by contacting us directly.

We respect your privacy and do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. We may share information only when necessary to operate our organization, including with trusted third-party service providers who assist with website hosting, communications, and donation processing. We may also disclose information when required to comply with applicable laws, regulations, or legal processes, or to protect the rights, safety, and integrity of our organization and community.

Palekana Aquatics Academy utilizes third-party platforms to operate its website, manage communications, and process donations. These services may include website hosting through Squarespace, email communications through Mailchimp, document and curriculum asset storage through Google Drive, and donation processing through PayPal or similar providers. When you interact with our website or services, your information may be collected, processed, or stored by these third-party providers. These entities operate independently and maintain their own privacy policies and practices. PAA does not control and is not responsible for the privacy practices, security measures, or data handling procedures of these third parties. Any information you provide through these platforms is subject to their respective terms and policies, and you are encouraged to review them before submitting personal or financial information.

Our website may use cookies and similar technologies to enhance your browsing experience, analyze site usage, and improve functionality. Cookies are small data files stored on your device that help us recognize repeat visitors and understand how our site is used. You may choose to disable cookies through your browser settings, though doing so may affect certain features of the website.

We take reasonable and appropriate measures to protect your personal information. Sensitive data transmitted online, such as donation information, is encrypted using secure technologies. Access to personal information is limited to authorized individuals who require it to perform their responsibilities. While we strive to protect your information, no method of transmission over the internet or method of electronic storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

PAA’s mission includes education involving children. We do not knowingly collect personal information directly from children under the age of 13 without the consent of a parent or legal guardian. Any information related to minors should be provided by a parent or guardian.

Our website may contain links to external websites or services that are not operated by PAA. We are not responsible for the content, security, or privacy practices of these third-party websites. Users are encouraged to review the privacy policies of any external sites they visit.

To the fullest extent permitted by law, Palekana Aquatics Academy shall not be liable for any damages, losses, or claims arising from your use of or inability to use third-party platforms associated with our website or services, including but not limited to Squarespace, Mailchimp, and PayPal. This includes, without limitation, any unauthorized access to or alteration of your data, data breaches, outages, service interruptions, or failures occurring within third-party systems. Your use of these services is at your own risk, and you acknowledge that PAA’s role is limited to facilitating access to these platforms.

You may request access to, correction of, or deletion of your personal information, subject to applicable legal requirements. You may also opt out of communications at any time. To make such requests, please contact us using the information provided below.

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, or legal requirements. Updates will be posted on this page with a revised effective date. Your continued use of our website following any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how your information is handled, please contact us.