Terms of Use

1. About The Open Economics Project

The Open Economics Project (“OEP”) is an educational and social impact initiative based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, operating under the fiscal sponsorship of a tax-exempt organization recognized under Section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code.

OEP works to make economics education more accessible through a combination of digital resources and community-based programs. Our activities include:

• Open Educational Resources: Developing and distributing economics textbooks, learning materials, practice assessments, and other educational publications, including resources made available under open licenses.
• Digital Learning: Providing accessible online educational content, interactive practice, learning analytics, and technology-assisted feedback.
• Essay Competitions and Academic Initiatives: Creating opportunities for students to explore economic questions, develop original arguments, and engage in academic inquiry.
• Grassroots Workshops and Outreach: Organizing or supporting educational workshops, community learning activities, and locally led outreach initiatives.
• Ambassador and Volunteer Programs: Engaging students, educators, and volunteers in educational outreach, resource development, and community impact.
• Institutional Partnerships: Collaborating with schools, libraries, NGOs, and other organizations to distribute educational materials and expand access to learning.

The availability, eligibility requirements, and conditions of these activities may vary by program and location.

OEP is an independent educational initiative. References to Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), A-Level, or other curricula do not imply endorsement, authorization, or affiliation with their respective organizations unless expressly stated.

2. Eligibility and Participation

OEP's publicly available digital educational resources are generally accessible worldwide, free of charge and without registration.

Users must be at least 13 years old to create an OEP website account. Additional age restrictions or parental consent requirements may apply depending on local law and the features being accessed.

Participation in essay competitions, workshops, ambassador programs, research initiatives, volunteer activities, or other organized programs may be subject to separate eligibility requirements, application procedures, age restrictions, and participation rules.

For participants under 18, OEP may require parental or guardian permission where appropriate or legally required, particularly for in-person activities, supervised programs, travel, public recognition, or the publication of participant work.

OEP may decline, restrict, or discontinue participation where necessary to comply with applicable law, protect participants, or preserve the integrity of its programs.

3. Website Accounts and Digital Learning

Certain features of OEP's digital learning platform may require a registered account, including persistent progress tracking, enhanced learning analytics, written-answer submissions, personalized recommendations, and AI-generated educational feedback.

Users may register through supported email-based or third-party authentication services.

By registering, you agree to provide accurate information, maintain the confidentiality of your credentials, and refrain from sharing or misusing your account.

3.1. Access Without an Account

Visitors may access publicly available learning resources without creating an account.

Where supported, learning progress and preferences for unregistered users are stored locally through browser technologies such as cookies and local storage.

Locally stored information may be lost when browser data is cleared or when users change devices or browsers. OEP cannot guarantee recovery of such information.

3.2. Registered Accounts

Registered users may access additional functionality involving account-associated information, including saved progress, enhanced analytics, and personalized learning tools.

Information processing associated with these features is described in our Privacy Policy.

4. Educational Resources and Publications

OEP develops and distributes educational resources intended to strengthen economic understanding, analytical reasoning, and access to academic opportunities.

These resources may include original textbooks, translated publications, educational guides, interactive lessons, practice questions, assessments, and other instructional materials.

Some resources are distributed digitally, while others may be made available in print through schools, libraries, nonprofit partners, and community organizations.

OEP seeks to make eligible publications freely accessible and reusable through open licensing. However, the rights associated with any particular resource depend on its ownership and applicable license.

Educational materials are provided for informational and instructional purposes. Although OEP strives for accuracy, it does not guarantee that all resources are complete, current, error-free, or appropriate for every curriculum.

OEP does not guarantee particular examination scores, grades, academic outcomes, or other educational results.

5. Intellectual Property and Open Licensing

Unless otherwise indicated, original content owned by OEP, including educational publications, lessons, practice materials, graphics, assessments, and website content, is protected by applicable intellectual property laws.

Users may freely access publicly available resources, print reasonable copies for personal study, and share links to OEP materials.

OEP may make selected publications and educational resources available under open licenses permitting redistribution, adaptation, translation, and commercial reuse with appropriate attribution.

Where such a license is expressly identified, users may exercise the rights granted by that license, subject to its conditions.

Open licensing applies only to content that OEP owns or is authorized to license. Third-party materials, including publisher-owned content, externally sourced illustrations, examination-board materials, and other licensed works, remain subject to their respective rights and restrictions.

Users may not misrepresent the authorship or origin of materials, remove required attribution, or imply endorsement by OEP or its partners.

No blanket license is granted to all content on OEP's website or across its programs.

Additional details are available in our Content Licensing Policy.

6. Essay Competitions and Academic Programs

OEP may organize essay competitions, writing initiatives, research opportunities, and other academic programs designed to encourage independent economic inquiry.

Each program may have separate rules concerning eligibility, submission requirements, deadlines, evaluation criteria, awards, publication permissions, and participant conduct.

Unless expressly stated otherwise, participants retain the intellectual property rights they hold in their original submissions.

By submitting work, participants grant OEP a limited, non-exclusive, royalty-free license to receive, store, review, evaluate, and process their submissions for administering the relevant program.

OEP will seek separate, explicit permission before publishing, distributing, adapting, or otherwise reusing participant work beyond what is necessary to administer the program, unless the participant has already granted those rights under the applicable program rules.

Where participants are minors, additional parental or guardian consent may be required.

Participants must submit original work, properly acknowledge external sources, and comply with the academic integrity requirements of the relevant program.

OEP reserves the right to disqualify submissions involving plagiarism, fabricated information, impersonation, prohibited AI assistance, or other violations of published competition rules.

Judging and award decisions will be made according to the applicable program rules. OEP does not guarantee selection, recognition, publication, or awards.

7. Workshops, Outreach, and Community Programs

OEP may organize, support, or collaborate on workshops, seminars, school activities, community education events, and other grassroots initiatives.

Participation may require registration, permission from a school or guardian, or agreement to additional event-specific rules.

Participants are expected to follow reasonable instructions from authorized organizers, respect other participants, and comply with applicable safety and conduct requirements.

OEP may modify, postpone, or cancel programs due to logistical, operational, safety, or other reasonable circumstances.

Where activities are organized jointly with independent schools, NGOs, community groups, or other partners, responsibilities may be allocated through separate agreements or program-specific notices.

Participation in physical activities may involve risks not associated with digital learning. OEP will take reasonable steps appropriate to its role to support participant safety, but cannot guarantee that all activities will be free from risk.

Nothing in these Terms limits legal duties relating to negligence, safeguarding, or participant safety that cannot lawfully be excluded.

8. Ambassadors, Volunteers, and Organizational Representatives

OEP may engage ambassadors, volunteers, contributors, and other representatives to support its educational and social impact initiatives.

Participation in these roles may be governed by additional agreements, codes of conduct, safeguarding requirements, or program guidelines. Unless expressly authorized in writing, participation does not create an employment, agency, or legal partnership relationship with OEP.

Ambassadors and volunteers must not represent themselves as authorized to enter into contracts, make financial commitments, solicit donations on OEP's behalf, or issue official statements without appropriate authorization.

Participants must act respectfully, protect confidential information, respect intellectual property rights, and comply with applicable laws and OEP policies.

OEP may suspend or terminate participation in an ambassador or volunteer program for conduct inconsistent with its mission, safeguarding requirements, or applicable program rules.

9. Partnerships and Institutional Collaboration

OEP may collaborate with schools, libraries, nonprofit organizations, NGOs, community groups, and other institutions to expand access to economics education.

Such partnerships may involve book distribution, educational workshops, curriculum support, community outreach, or other mutually agreed initiatives.

References to an organization as an OEP partner do not automatically establish a legal partnership, joint venture, agency, or employment relationship.

The responsibilities of participating institutions, including resource distribution, event administration, safeguarding, and use of OEP materials, may be governed by separate written agreements.

Partner organizations may not use OEP's name, logo, or other identifying marks in a manner that falsely suggests sponsorship, endorsement, or authorization.

Institutions receiving openly licensed OEP materials may redistribute them in accordance with the applicable license. Materials subject to other restrictions must be handled in accordance with those restrictions.

10. User Contributions and Submissions

OEP may accept written responses, educational content, volunteer contributions, feedback, essays, or other submissions through its website and programs.

Contributors retain the ownership rights they hold in their original work.

Unless separate terms apply, contributors grant OEP a limited, non-exclusive, royalty-free license to receive, store, process, and use submitted materials as reasonably necessary to provide the requested service, evaluate a submission, or administer the relevant program.

Broader uses, including public publication, commercial redistribution, or inclusion in openly licensed educational publications, require separate authorization where those rights have not already been granted.

Contributors are responsible for ensuring that their submissions do not infringe the rights of others or violate applicable laws.

OEP may reject or remove submissions that violate these Terms, program rules, or applicable law.

11. AI-Enabled Features

OEP may provide AI-assisted educational tools, including automated feedback, learning recommendations, and explanations.

AI-generated content may be inaccurate, incomplete, misleading, or inappropriate. Users should evaluate such information critically and verify important claims through reliable sources. AI-generated feedback is not an official examination grade, professional evaluation, or guarantee of academic performance.

OEP may change, restrict, or discontinue AI-enabled functionality as technology and operational requirements evolve.

Users should avoid providing sensitive personal information to AI-enabled tools.

Additional restrictions, consent requirements, or safeguards may apply to minors.

12. Safeguarding and Participant Conduct

OEP is committed to maintaining respectful and appropriately safeguarded educational environments, particularly in programs involving children and young people.

All participants, volunteers, ambassadors, and representatives are expected to conduct themselves responsibly and respect the safety, privacy, and dignity of others.

Prohibited behavior includes harassment, discrimination, intimidation, exploitation, inappropriate communication with minors, and conduct that endangers participants.

Participants must comply with OEP's Safeguarding Policy and any applicable program-specific requirements.

OEP may take appropriate action in response to reported misconduct, including restricting participation, removing individuals from programs, or referring matters to appropriate authorities where required or warranted.

13. Acceptable Use

Users and program participants agree not to:

• Access accounts, systems, or information without authorization.
• Disrupt or compromise OEP's website, infrastructure, or programs.
• Scrape or bulk-download content without authorization, except where permitted by an applicable license or law.
• Infringe intellectual property or privacy rights.
• Impersonate OEP representatives, partners, or other participants.
• Engage in harassment, discrimination, exploitation, or other harmful conduct.
• Submit plagiarized, fraudulent, malicious, or unlawful materials.
• Misuse OEP resources, partnerships, branding, or institutional relationships.
• Engage in academic dishonesty or violate applicable competition rules.
• Use OEP's activities or Services for unlawful purposes.

OEP may investigate suspected violations and take reasonable corrective measures.

14. Third-Party Services and Independent Organizations

OEP may use third-party technology providers or collaborate with independent organizations to deliver its Services and programs.

External websites, authentication services, AI providers, and independently administered partner activities may be subject to their own terms and policies.

OEP does not automatically endorse third-party content or assume responsibility for independently operated services merely because they are linked to or associated with an OEP initiative.

This provision does not exclude responsibilities that OEP may have under applicable law or a separate agreement.

15. Privacy and Data Protection

OEP seeks to minimize unnecessary collection of personal information.

Unregistered website users may access publicly available educational materials without creating an account. Where supported, their learning progress is stored locally in their browser.

Registered users and participants in competitions, workshops, ambassador programs, book distribution initiatives, and other activities may provide information necessary for the relevant service or program.

Different programs may require different information, including registration details, submissions, contact information, or participation records.

Our Privacy Policy explains how personal information is collected, processed, retained, and protected, including information handled through program registrations and organizational activities.

16. Availability, Program Changes, and Disclaimers

OEP makes reasonable efforts to provide reliable educational resources and administer programs responsibly.

However, digital features, publications, competitions, workshops, and other activities may be modified, postponed, suspended, or discontinued due to operational, educational, legal, funding, or safety considerations.

To the extent permitted by applicable law, OEP's website, educational materials, and digital tools are provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis.

OEP does not guarantee uninterrupted access, error-free content, specific academic outcomes, selection for programs, or the availability of particular opportunities.

Any specific commitments made under separate program or partnership agreements remain subject to those agreements.

17. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, OEP and the persons or entities legally responsible for its Services will not be liable for indirect, incidental, special, or consequential losses arising from use of its digital resources or participation in its programs.

OEP does not guarantee particular examination results, academic achievements, competition outcomes, or other educational benefits.

Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits liability for conduct or harm where such exclusion would be unlawful, including applicable responsibilities concerning participant safety, negligence, or statutory rights.

18. Governing Law and Dispute Resolution

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Georgia, United States, except where mandatory applicable law requires otherwise.

Users and participants are encouraged to contact OEP first to seek an informal, good-faith resolution of concerns or disputes.

Where informal resolution is unsuccessful, disputes may be brought before a court of competent jurisdiction, subject to applicable law and any separate governing agreement.

Nothing in these Terms waives mandatory consumer or participant protections available under applicable law.

19. Changes to These Terms

OEP may update these Terms to reflect changes in its activities, programs, Services, or legal obligations.

The latest version will be published at https://openecon.org/terms with an updated revision date.

Where material changes affect registered users, OEP will make reasonable efforts to provide notice through registered email addresses.

Material changes affecting specific programs may also be communicated through the relevant program's official channels.

Continued use of the Services after updated Terms take effect constitutes acceptance to the extent permitted by law. Where additional consent is required, OEP will seek it.

20. General Provisions

If any provision of these Terms is found unenforceable, the remaining provisions will continue in effect to the extent permitted by law.

Failure to enforce a provision does not waive OEP's right to enforce it later.

These Terms apply alongside OEP's relevant published policies and any additional terms governing particular programs.

Where a separately executed partnership agreement or published program-specific terms conflict with these general Terms, the more specific agreement governs the relevant activity, subject to applicable law.

21. Contact Information

For questions regarding these Terms or OEP's activities, please contact:

The Open Economics Project Atlanta, Georgia, United States Website: https://openecon.org Email: legal@openecon.org

For specific inquiries, please use the appropriate contact address:

• General Inquiries: contact@openecon.org
• Privacy and Data Protection: privacy@openecon.org
• Copyright and Content Licensing: copyright@openecon.org
• Accessibility: accessibility@openecon.org
• Safeguarding and Participant Safety: safeguarding@openecon.org
• Partnerships and Institutional Collaboration: partnerships@openecon.org

By accessing OEP's Services or participating in its programs, you acknowledge these Terms to the extent applicable under law and any program-specific agreement.