TechGirlz Terms and Conditions

Last Updated: December 2024

Welcome to TechGirlz. These Terms and Conditions (“Terms”) govern your access to and use of the TechGirlz website and all workshop materials, curricula, lesson plans, and related educational resources (collectively, the “Materials”) made available through this website.

By downloading, accessing, or using any Materials from this website, you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree to these Terms, do not access or use the Materials.

1. About TechGirlz and These Materials

TechGirlz was founded in 2010 by Tracey Welson-Rossman with the mission to inspire middle school girls to explore the possibilities of technology through free, hands-on workshops. These Materials are being made freely available to continue that mission and enable educators, volunteers, and organizations worldwide to run technology workshops.

Following the conclusion of the merger between TechGirlz and CompTIA Spark in 2024, the workshop materials have been returned to the founder and are now being made available as open educational resources.

2. Open Educational Resource License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0)

Unless otherwise noted, all TechGirlz workshop materials are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).

This means you are free to:

Share — copy and redistribute the Materials in any medium or format for any purpose, even commercially
Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the Materials for any purpose, even commercially

Under the following terms:

Attribution — You must give appropriate credit to TechGirlz, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests TechGirlz endorses you or your use.
No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.

To view a copy of this license, visit: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Suggested Attribution: “This work uses materials from TechGirlz (www.techgirlz.org), licensed under CC BY 4.0.”

3. Materials Are Provided “AS IS”

IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Materials are currently being updated and reviewed. Some Materials may contain broken or outdated links, references to discontinued software or websites, outdated technical information, or incomplete content. We are actively working to update these Materials and welcome community feedback.

3.1 No Warranties

THE MATERIALS ARE PROVIDED “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE” WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, NON-INFRINGEMENT, OR THAT THE MATERIALS WILL BE ERROR-FREE, COMPLETE, ACCURATE, OR CURRENT.

3.2 Use at Your Own Risk

You acknowledge and agree that your use of the Materials is at your sole risk. TechGirlz, its founder Tracey Welson-Rossman, and any contributors make no representations or warranties about the accuracy, completeness, reliability, or suitability of the Materials for any particular purpose.

4. Limitation of Liability

TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, TECHGIRLZ, ITS FOUNDER TRACEY WELSON-ROSSMAN, AND ANY CONTRIBUTORS SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR EXEMPLARY DAMAGES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO:

Damages for loss of profits, goodwill, use, data, or other intangible losses
Personal injury or property damage resulting from your use of the Materials
Any errors, omissions, or inaccuracies in the Materials
Any interruption or cessation of access to the Materials
Any viruses or malicious code that may be transmitted through the Materials

This limitation applies even if TechGirlz has been advised of the possibility of such damages.

5. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless TechGirlz, Tracey Welson-Rossman, and any contributors from and against any and all claims, liabilities, damages, losses, costs, expenses, or fees (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising from:

Your use or misuse of the Materials
Your violation of these Terms
Your violation of any third-party rights, including intellectual property rights
Any workshops, classes, or events you conduct using the Materials

6. Email Collection and Privacy

When you download Materials, we collect your name, email address, and optionally your organization/school. We use this information to provide access to Materials, send updates about new or revised Materials, and understand who is using our Materials to improve them.

We will never sell or rent your email address to third parties. You have the right to request access, correction, or deletion of your information, and to opt out of receiving communications at any time.

For complete details, please see our Privacy Policy.

7. Third-Party Content and Links

The Materials may contain links to third-party websites, services, or resources. TechGirlz does not endorse and is not responsible for the availability, accuracy, content, privacy practices, or terms of use of such third-party resources. Your use of third-party resources is at your own risk and subject to their terms and conditions.

8. Intellectual Property Rights

8.1 TechGirlz Trademark

The name “TechGirlz” and the TechGirlz logo are trademarks owned by Tracey Welson-Rossman. While the Materials are licensed under CC BY 4.0, the trademark is not. You may use the TechGirlz name to accurately describe the source of the Materials or state that your workshop “uses TechGirlz materials.”

You may NOT:

Use the TechGirlz name in a way that suggests official endorsement or affiliation without permission
Alter the TechGirlz logo or trademark
Use the TechGirlz name for commercial products or services without permission

8.2 Third-Party Content

Some Materials may incorporate or reference third-party content, software, or resources that are subject to separate terms and conditions. Where such content is identified, you must comply with the applicable third-party licenses and terms.

9. User Contributions and Feedback

We encourage you to report any issues you encounter with the Materials, including broken links, outdated information, or technical errors. By submitting feedback, you grant TechGirlz a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to use, modify, and incorporate your feedback into the Materials.

If you wish to contribute improvements, updates, or new content to the Materials, please contact us. Any contributions you submit may be incorporated into the Materials under the CC BY 4.0 license.

10. Children's Privacy

This website is designed for use by educators, volunteers, and organizations. While the Materials are intended for use with middle school-aged girls, the website itself is not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 through this website.

If you are using these Materials with children under 13, you are responsible for obtaining any necessary parental consent, complying with all applicable child protection laws, and ensuring appropriate supervision during workshops or activities.

11. Disclaimer of Affiliation

TechGirlz is no longer affiliated with CompTIA, CompTIA Spark, or any other organization. References to such organizations in the Materials reflect historical context only. The Materials are now provided independently and do not represent the views or endorsement of any other organization.

12. Modifications to Terms and Materials

We reserve the right to modify these Terms at any time. Changes will be effective immediately upon posting to this website with an updated “Last Updated” date. Your continued use of the Materials after such changes constitutes acceptance of the modified Terms.

We may update, modify, or remove Materials at any time without notice. However, any version of the Materials you have already downloaded remains available to you under the CC BY 4.0 license.

13. Governing Law

These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Pennsylvania, United States, without regard to its conflict of law provisions. Any disputes arising from these Terms or your use of the Materials shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts located in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania.

14. Contact Information

If you have questions about these Terms, the Materials, or wish to report an issue or contribute improvements, please contact us:

Email: info@techgirlz.org
Report an Issue: feedback@techgirlz.org
Volunteer/Contribute: volunteer@techgirlz.org

Acknowledgment

By downloading or using the TechGirlz Materials, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms and Conditions. You also acknowledge that the Materials are provided “as is” and that you assume all risks associated with their use.