Pending 501(c)(3), organized under § 5120 of the California Codes

Firm Foundation Academy, Inc. has been assigned a federal EIN of 46-3388400. When approved by the IRS, the Academy will operate under § 501(c)(3) of the federal statutes. The corporation number assigned by the State of California is 3592981, and the Academy is organized under § 5120 of the California Codes.

Your privacy is important to FFA. This privacy statement provides information about the personal information that FFA collects, and the ways in which FFA uses that personal information.

Personal information collection

FFA may collect and use the following kinds of personal information:

• Information about your use of this website (including assessment tests);
• Information that you provide using for the purpose of registering with the website (including email, name, phone number and age);
• Information about transactions carried out over this website (including registration and enrollment);
• Information that you provide for the purpose of subscribing to the website services (including email address);
• Any other information that you send to FFA.

Using personal information

FFA may use your personal information to:

• Administer this website;
• Personalize the website for you;
• Enable your access to and use of the website services;
• Publish information about you on the website;
• Send to you products that you purchase;
• Supply to you services that you purchase;
• Send to you statements and invoices;
• Collect payments from you;
• Send you marketing communications.

Where FFA discloses your personal information to it's agents or sub-contractors for these purposes, the agent or sub-contractor in question will be obligated to use that personal information in accordance with the terms of this privacy statement.

In addition to the disclosures reasonably necessary for the purposes identified elsewhere above, FFA may disclose your personal information to the extent that it is required to do so by law, in connection with any legal proceedings or prospective legal proceedings, and in order to establish, exercise or defend it's legal rights.

Securing your data

FFA will take reasonable technical and organizational precautions to prevent the loss, misuse or alteration of your personal information.

FFA will store all the personal information you provide on it's secure servers.

Information relating to electronic transactions entered into via this website will be protected by encryption technology.

Cross-border data transfers

Information that FFA collects may be stored and processed in and transferred between any of the countries in which FFA operates to enable the use of the information in accordance with this privacy policy.

In addition, personal information that you submit for publication on the website will be published on the internet and may be available around the world.

You agree to such cross-border transfers of personal information.

Updating this statement

FFA may update this privacy policy by posting a new version on this website.

You should check this page occasionally to ensure you are familiar with any changes.

Other websites

This website may contain links to other websites.

Our rules are similar to what is required of recruits during a BOOT CAMP. They are tough, they are fair, and they are non-negotiable. Welcome to our world, where you will learn more in three weeks than you thought you could learn in a semester.

ATTITUDE

Not everyone who signs up for this program will be sure they can hack it…but we expect you to be sure you want to give it your best shot. We expect to receive hundreds of applications for a maximum of 90 slots. If you don’t want to be here, you shouldn’t come.

SLEEP

Not everyone needs the same amount of sleep. But students will be sleeping in the same facility, and so you will have to respect the needs of others, just as they will have to respect your needs. It is critical that everyone who engages in intensive learning be well rested because sleep deprivation does not enhance learning capacity…in fact, it has the opposite effect. So, disturbing the sleep of other students will be completely unacceptable.

NOURISHMENT

The brain needs nourishment for intensive learning… and here again the needs of the individual may vary. We will provide three delicious and nourishing meals per day (with a vegetarian option) as well as snacks and beverages between meals. It is up to you to make sure that you eat and drink enough so that your brain will be continually fueled for the toughest work it has probably ever done. We won’t provide endless varieties of junk food, because it doesn’t fuel the brain! But we aren’t trying to change your eating preferences, so we’ll be flexible.

EXERCISE

In order for the brain to work well, the body has to be rested (see SLEEP), nourished (see NOURISHMENT) and it needs something else as well – the blood needs to be circulating, the muscles and bones and ligaments need to be moving. Most of us don’t move around a lot when we are reading. We’re not going to change that. But that means that if we are reading a lot we need to take breaks to get exercise, to move our bodies. We provide a gym, a track, paths in the woods…but it will be up to you to embrace this and not sit or lie around all day long.

RELATIONSHIPS

It’s summer, you’re on vacation, you’re hanging out with people your own age… we know that sparks will fly. But we’re focused on one thing in this program, and that is intensive learning. There is no time for romantic relationships, and all of the complications that can ensue from them. So your instructors are going to be your aunties and your uncles, and your fellow students your cousins. We’re all family here. If you have the hots for someone and it is reciprocated, get together after the program is finished. But while you’re here, we expect you to act like family.

SAFETY

If you stay focused on this intensive program, you have no cause to be concerned about safety. But if you are ever the least bit concerned about your safety, we expect that you will tell a staff member immediately. If any of your fellow students or if any of the staff think you have a problem that relates to your safety or theirs, they will let us know and we will deal with it. We can’t help you unless we know that you need help.

HEALTH

We ask that you take precautions so you come to us healthy and that you stay healthy while you are with us. In most cases, your health is your responsibility. But we expect you to have medical insurance and accident insurance, in case you will need medical treatment. What happens if you get sick, and you can’t concentrate on the program because of how awful you feel? We’ll address the situation before it adversely affects others.

VEHICLES

Students need to remain focused throughout the three week period on the intensive program – this is the only way it works, so we aren’t willing to compromise. Students will not be permitted to drive to the school or have vehicles at the school. No motorcycles, no ATVs, no bicycles. There are too many risks involved in permitting any travel off campus, and the greatest risk is distraction.

PRESCRIPTION DRUGS

If you are prescribed medication, we will provide you with a safe and secure way of storing that medication so that only you will have access to it, and only when it is prescribed to be taken. Please bring an adequate supply of whatever prescriptions you are taking, so we won’t have to make a special trip to a pharmacy and you can stay focused.

HEALTH SUPPLEMENTS

Many people believe that taking certain vitamins and minerals, Omega 3 Fish Oil and herbal supplements is conducive to good health and superior brain function. You may bring such health supplements with you, and we will provide you with a safe and secure way to store them. In the event that students run out of supplements or that students who did not bring supplements wish to take them, we will supply backup resources.

ALCOHOL

It interferes with brain function, so it is off limits to all students and staff during the program. Also, drinking alcoholic beverages is illegal for students under 21 years of age…which would be, most of you. Violation of this rule will result in immediate suspension.

RECREATIONAL DRUGS

You may like to smoke…tobacco…or other things. That’s your business. You may play around with other recreational drugs. That’s also your business. But there will be no recreational drugs on the premises of our school, none used by anyone during a session either on or off premises, and any infraction of this rule will result in immediate suspension.

COURTESY

We all like to be treated with courtesy and respect. Profanity, rudeness, vulgarity, insult – these are all forms of speech that make us unhappy and are not conducive to learning. Please be on your best behavior. Everyone will be able to focus optimally on learning if we all participate in making our school a model of courtesy. Courtesy knows no boundaries – it is required of staff and students alike.

POLITICAL CORRECTNESS

Don’t mix up courtesy with political correctness. We do not expect you to adhere to certain opinions or to use the standard language that is popular among your generation or your ethnic group. You will have a great deal of latitude in your speech at this school – we want honesty, we want clarity, we will encourage creativity, thinking and speaking out of the box. Be prepared to be shocked, by what others will say, by what you may end up saying. It’s good for you. Anything that astonishes and unsettles and makes you think is good. Of course we expect our students to behave with courtesy which includes trying to not be unnecessarily offensive, but much more important, do not think that taking offense is acceptable behavior. Being easily offended is not a virtue at our school.

COMMUNICATION WITH THE OUTSIDE WORLD

There will be times assigned for communication with the outside world – through phoning, texting, emailing, skyping, facebooking, etc. And during other times we expect that you won’t be distracted by such communications. Just imagine how liberating this is going to feel! No longer at everyone’s beck and call, having to drop whatever you are doing at any moment to answer this or that person! Usually about trivial matters too. Don’t worry. We have free phones in every building with which you can call out to parents or other significant others at any time. If there is an emergency and they really urgently have to talk with you, we can receive that message and convey it to you immediately.

CREDIT

If you want to get college credit for this intensive course – which would be ideal for you and for our school – we will need you to help us contact your counsellor or student advisor. Most colleges will give credit for such well-documented independent study, and some will also be willing to recognize this Whole Intensive Reading program as a transferred credit.

BREAK TIME

What if you need a break? Everyone needs a break from time to time. Take a break and sleep, meditate, pray, go for a walk, eat a snack, have a conversation with someone else who is taking a break. We are going to push you to go farther, faster than you ever thought you could. But we aren’t heartless taskmasters. We will have exercise breaks every two hours throughout the day. Moreover, every week we will have a half-day excursion to local scenic sites for hiking, swimming and relaxation. Nevertheless, this is no vacation. Remember,` you won’t find out what you are capable of unless you push yourself, unless you expect the outrageous of yourself. You can take a vacation for the rest of the summer…every moment of these days is precious and can never be repeated. It is up to you to make the most of it.

MEDIA AND USE OF AGGREGATE COURSE DATA

During the course of your work, we may photograph you or videotape you and your class for use on our website, promotion or training videos. We may also use your test scores in aggregate to optimize and refine our approach. We will also share your personal portfolio showing all your work and accomplishments with your college or university in order to get you credit for your work.