Privacy policy

Rootwork Engineering Fellowship (“Rootwork”, “we”) runs this website, rootworkhq.com, and the Rootwork platform its members use at app.rootworkhq.com. This policy explains what we collect, why, who can see it and the choices you have. Questions: hello.rootworkhq@gmail.com.

Visiting this website

The website sets no tracking cookies. Where analytics are switched on, we use Plausible, which counts visits and clicks in aggregate without cookies and without identifying you.

Applying to the fellowship

When you apply, we collect what the form asks for: your name, email address, country, GitHub username if you give one, your programming experience and background, why you want to join, how you heard about Rootwork, and whether you can commit the time. We use it only to consider your application and to contact you about it. Rootwork staff read it; nobody else does. Ask us at any time and we will delete your application.

Members of the fellowship

If you join, the Rootwork platform also holds:

• Account: your preferred name and email address. Staff may record your legal name; it is private.
• Profile you choose to give: GitHub username, the track you are exploring, prior experience, interests, device, goals, availability and any learning-access needs.
• Your learning record: assignments, your submissions and links, reviews, scores, corrections, skill evidence and reports.
• Participation: session attendance, your answer to recording requests, warnings and catch-up plans.
• From GitHub, if you connect it: your GitHub user ID and username, and details of pull requests in repositories you let the Rootwork GitHub App see (repository, branch, commits, changed files).
• Security records: sign-in times, a log of important changes made in the platform, and server logs.

Google sign-in and Google Calendar

If you sign in with Google, we receive your name, email address and Google account ID, and use them only to recognise you as an invited member. We never receive your Google password.

A Rootwork administrator can connect one Google account so that sessions are added to Google Calendar with a Google Meet link. For that account only, Rootwork creates, updates and cancels the calendar events for the sessions it schedules, inviting members by email. It does not read other events. The access token is stored encrypted and can be revoked at any time from Rootwork or from the Google account.

Rootwork's use and transfer of information received from Google APIs adheres to the Google API Services User Data Policy, including the Limited Use requirements. We do not sell Google user data, use it for advertising, or use it to train AI models.

How we use it

Only to run the fellowship: to consider applications, publish work, receive and review submissions, track learning progress, schedule sessions, send notifications, support members who fall behind, and keep our services secure. We do not sell personal data or show advertising.

Who can see it

• Members see their own record.
• Mentors and the lead mentor see the cohort's learning records, including mentor-only notes.
• Operations staff see logistics, such as the roster and schedule, but not mentor-only notes or access needs.
• Other members see your preferred name, not your private record.

We use these service providers: Amazon Web Services (hosting, in the EU), Resend (email), Google (sign-in and calendar), GitHub (code evidence), Cloudflare (domain name service) and, where enabled, Plausible (website analytics).

How long we keep it

Applications are kept while we decide and for planning later cohorts. Member records are kept for as long as you take part and afterwards for the records and reports the fellowship produces. Database backups are kept for up to 14 days. Ask us and we will delete your data unless we need to keep part of it for a legitimate record.

Your choices and rights

• Members can download everything we hold about them from Profile & settings → Your data in the platform.
• Members can edit their profile, turn off routine emails, and disconnect GitHub or Google at any time.
• Anyone can ask us to correct or delete their data, or to stop processing it, at hello.rootworkhq@gmail.com.

You also have rights under the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023, including the right to complain to the Nigeria Data Protection Commission.

Security

Our services are served only over HTTPS. Access is limited by role, tokens are stored encrypted, important changes are logged, and the database is backed up daily.

Changes

We will update the date above when this policy changes, and tell members about significant changes.