1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using Fair Grading ("the Service"), operated by Ars Practica, LLC, you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service. If you do not agree to these terms, please do not use the Service.

2. Description of Service

Fair Grading is a web-based platform operated by Ars Practica, LLC and designed to facilitate the registration, management, and scoring of science fairs. The Service allows organizers to:

• Create and manage science fair events
• Collect project registrations and assign judges
• Enable judges to score projects using a standardized system
• Generate reports and analytics based on scoring data
• Calculate normalized Z-scores for fair project rankings

3. User Accounts

3.1 Account Registration

You must create an account to use certain features of the Service. You agree to provide accurate, current, and complete information during registration and to update such information to keep it accurate and current.

3.2 Account Security

You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials and for all activities that occur under your account. You must immediately notify us of any unauthorized use of your account.

3.3 District Accounts

Accounts are tied to districts. Users within the same district may have access to shared fair data. You are responsible for managing user access within your district.

4. User Responsibilities

You agree to:

• Use the Service only for lawful purposes and in accordance with these Terms
• Not use the Service to violate any local, state, national, or international law
• Ensure that all data you upload is accurate and that you have the right to share such data
• Obtain necessary consents for any student or judge information you enter into the system
• Not attempt to gain unauthorized access to the Service or other users' accounts
• Not interfere with or disrupt the Service or servers/networks connected to the Service
• Not use automated systems (bots, scrapers) to access the Service without permission

5. Data and Content

5.1 Your Content

You retain ownership of all data and content you upload to the Service. By uploading content, you grant us a license to use, store, and process that content solely for the purpose of providing the Service to you.

5.2 Data Accuracy

You are solely responsible for the accuracy, quality, and legality of the data you provide. We are not responsible for any errors in scoring or reporting that result from inaccurate data input.

5.3 Student Data

If you upload information about students under 18, you represent that you have obtained all necessary consents and permissions to do so in compliance with applicable laws, including FERPA and COPPA where applicable.

6. Judge Portal

The judge portal uses email-based authentication without passwords. By adding a judge's email to the system, you confirm that:

• You have permission to share that email address with the Service
• The judge has consented to participate in the fair
• You will inform judges about how to access the portal and their responsibilities

7. Registration Fees, Cancellations, and Refunds

7.1 How Event Fees Are Determined

Each science fair organizer decides whether its event charges a registration fee and sets the currency and per-student amount. Fee obligations are created after project approval from the approved student roster. Existing obligations retain the terms recorded when they were created.

7.2 Payment

The connected school, district, regional fair, or other organizing entity shown for the event is the merchant receiving online registration payments. Fair Grading and Ars Practica, LLC provide the software platform and do not receive or temporarily hold those registration funds. Stripe processes direct charges for the connected organization and deposits proceeds into that organization’s Stripe balance after Stripe fees. Individuals pay by credit or debit card; schools may pay consolidated invoices by card or ACH bank payment, or by mailing a check using the invoice instructions. Cash is not accepted. Payment credentials are entered only on Stripe’s hosted Checkout page and must never be entered into a free-text registration field.

Organizers handle general payment operations, payouts, disputes, and account requirements in their full Stripe Dashboard. Fair Grading initiates supported Checkout and full-refund requests and mirrors outcomes only after signed Stripe webhooks verify them. A Dashboard change may therefore appear in Fair Grading after webhook delivery and reconciliation, rather than immediately.

7.3 Cancellation and Refunds

Canceling or withdrawing a registration does not automatically issue a refund. Refund eligibility, deadlines, and any nonrefundable amounts are determined by the applicable event organizer and its displayed instructions. Contact the fair organizer before canceling or requesting a refund. Any approved refund is returned through an appropriate method and cannot exceed funds previously collected for that registration.

For questions about an event-specific charge or refund, contact the fair organizer identified in the registration materials. For Fair Grading service support, contact Ars Practica, LLC at legal@arspractica.io.

8. Intellectual Property

The Service, including its original content, features, and functionality, is owned by Ars Practica, LLC and is protected by copyright, trademark, trade secret, and other intellectual property laws.

9. Disclaimers and Limitations of Liability

9.1 Service "As Is"

The Service is provided "as is" and "as available" without warranties of any kind, either express or implied, including but not limited to warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement.

9.2 Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, Ars Practica, LLC shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or any loss of profits or revenues, whether incurred directly or indirectly, or any loss of data, use, goodwill, or other intangible losses.

9.3 No Guarantee of Accuracy

While we strive for accuracy in our scoring algorithms and reporting, we do not guarantee that calculations, reports, or Z-scores will be error-free. You should review all results before making final fair decisions.

10. Service Modifications and Termination

We reserve the right to:

• Modify or discontinue the Service at any time without notice
• Refuse service to anyone for any reason
• Terminate or suspend your account for violation of these Terms

You may terminate your account at any time by contacting us. Upon termination, your right to use the Service will immediately cease.

11. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Ars Practica, LLC and its officers, employees, contractors, and agents from any claims, damages, losses, liabilities, and expenses (including legal fees) arising out of your use of the Service or violation of these Terms.

12. Governing Law

These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with applicable laws, without regard to conflict of law principles.

13. Changes to Terms

We may revise these Terms at any time by updating this page. Continued use of the Service after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.

14. Contact Information

If you have questions about these Terms of Service, contact Ars Practica, LLC at legal@arspractica.io.

15. Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable or invalid, that provision will be limited or eliminated to the minimum extent necessary so that these Terms will otherwise remain in full force and effect.