Privacy Policy

Last updated: July 4, 2026

The Our World-Underwater Scholarship Society ("OWUSS," "the Society," "we," "us," or "our") respects your privacy and is committed to protecting the personal information of visitors to this website (www.owuscholarship.org) and everyone who applies for, participates in, sponsors, or supports our scholarship and internship programs. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and the choices you have.

By using this website, you agree to the collection and use of information as described in this policy.

Information We Collect

We collect information in a few different ways, depending on how you interact with us:

• Contact forms. When you submit a message through our Contact Us page, we collect your name, email address, and any other information you choose to include.
• Mailing list sign-ups. If you subscribe to our mailing list, we collect your email address (and, if provided, your name) so we can send you Society updates, events, and activity news. You can unsubscribe at any time using the link in any email we send.
• Scholarship and internship applications. Applications for our scholarship and internship programs are submitted through a third-party application portal (Kaleidoscope, at apply.mykaleidoscope.com). Information collected there — which may include your name, contact details, school/education history, diving experience, essays, references, and similar application materials — is governed by Kaleidoscope's own privacy policy in addition to this one. OWUSS receives and reviews application information from Kaleidoscope for the purpose of evaluating candidates and administering our programs.
• Donations. Donations made through our website are processed entirely by PayPal. We do not collect or store your credit card, bank account, or other payment information — PayPal handles this in accordance with its own privacy policy. We may receive your name, email address, and donation amount from PayPal for the purpose of thanking you and maintaining donor records.
• Automatically collected information. Like most websites, our site may use cookies and similar technologies (for example, through WordPress and standard web analytics tools) to collect information such as your IP address, browser type, device type, pages visited, and time spent on the site. This helps us understand how visitors use our site and improve it over time.
• Embedded content and social media. Pages on this site may include embedded content, such as YouTube videos, or links to our Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube pages. These third-party services may collect information about your interaction with their embedded content according to their own privacy policies.

How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Evaluate and administer scholarship and internship applications;
• Communicate with applicants, scholars, interns, sponsors, donors, and website visitors;
• Send newsletters and Society updates to mailing list subscribers;
• Process and acknowledge donations;
• Maintain records of alumni, sponsors, and supporters;
• Operate, maintain, and improve our website; and
• Comply with legal obligations.

We do not sell your personal information to third parties.

How We Share Information

We may share information with:

• Service providers who help us operate our programs and website, such as Kaleidoscope (application processing), PayPal (donation processing), our web hosting provider, and email/newsletter services;
• OWUSS regional volunteers and board members involved in reviewing applications or administering the North America, Europe, or Australasia programs;
• Sponsoring and host organizations, where necessary to place scholars and interns in their programs, and with the applicant's knowledge; and
• Others when required by law, or to protect the rights, safety, or property of OWUSS or others.

OWUSS scholars and interns are asked to provide photos, videos, and blog content documenting their experience, which the Society may publish on this website and its social media channels as part of the program.

Cookies

Cookies are small text files placed on your device to help websites function and remember your preferences. You can set your browser to refuse cookies or alert you when cookies are being sent; however, some parts of the site may not function properly if you disable cookies.

Data Retention

We retain personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this policy — for example, application materials and program records are generally retained for historical, alumni-relations, and reporting purposes, unless you request deletion and we are not otherwise required or permitted to retain the information.

Your Rights and Choices

Depending on where you live, you may have the right to request access to, correction of, or deletion of your personal information, or to object to or restrict certain uses of it. This includes rights available to residents of the European Economic Area, the UK, and other jurisdictions with similar data protection laws. To make a request, contact us using the details below. For our European program, you may also contact [email protected].

You can unsubscribe from our mailing list at any time using the link included in our emails.

Children's Privacy

This website is not directed at children under the age of 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us so we can remove it.

Third-Party Links

Our website contains links to third-party websites, including our regional scholarship blogs (OWUSS North America, OWUSS Europe, and OWUSS Australasia), sponsor and host organization sites, PayPal, and our Kaleidoscope application portal. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these third-party sites and encourage you to review their privacy policies.

Security

We take reasonable measures to protect personal information from unauthorized access, use, or disclosure. However, no method of transmission or storage over the internet is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated "Last updated" date.

Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or would like to exercise your privacy rights, please contact us:

• Our World-Underwater Scholarship Society
• PO Box 6157, Woodridge, IL 60517
• Phone: (630) 969-6690
• Email: [email protected]
• European inquiries: [email protected]