Virtual Science Teachers – Terms of Use
Last Updated: January 20, 2026
1. Acceptance of Terms
By accessing or using the Virtual Science Teachers website (https://www.virtualscienceteachers.org), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Use. If you do not agree, please do not use the website.
2. Purpose of the Website
Virtual Science Teachers (“VST,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that provides free, educational science resources intended to support classroom instruction, learning, and scientific literacy.
Unless otherwise noted, all VST-created content is provided for non-commercial educational use under an open license, as described below.
3. License for VST Content
Unless otherwise stated, all original content created by Virtual Science Teachers, including interactives, simulations, text, graphics, activities, mini challenges, and instructional materials, is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution–NonCommercial–ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0).
- A copy of this license is available at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/.
- For a plain-language explanation of how VST materials may be used, please see our Licensing & Use page.
- By using VST content, you agree to comply fully with the terms of this license.
4. What the CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License Allows
Under the CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license, you may:
Use VST materials in classrooms, schools, districts, and other educational settings
Share materials with students for instructional purposes
Adapt or modify materials for educational use
Display, project, or embed materials for teaching and learning
Provided that you:
Give appropriate attribution to Virtual Science Teachers
Use the materials only for non-commercial purposes
Share any adaptations under the same CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license
5. Non-Commercial Use Clarification
For purposes of VST content, non-commercial use includes:
Classroom instruction
Teacher professional development
District or school use
Nonprofit educational programs
Grant-funded educational initiatives where content is not sold or paywalled
Non-commercial use does not include:
Selling or reselling VST materials
Uploading VST content to paid platforms or subscription services
Bundling VST resources into paid courses, products, or training programs
Using VST content to generate revenue, advertising income, or subscription fees
Rebranding or presenting VST materials as your own
Any commercial use requires prior written permission from Virtual Science Teachers. Requests may be directed to admin@virtualscienceteachers.com.
6. Ownership and Attribution
All original content remains the intellectual property of Virtual Science Teachers.
Use of VST materials must include appropriate attribution, such as:
“Virtual Science Teachers – www.virtualscienceteachers.org
Licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0”
Failure to provide attribution or comply with the license terms constitutes unauthorized use.
7. Third-Party Content and Embedded Services
Some VST pages include embedded or linked third-party content used to support instruction and data literacy. Examples may include PhET Interactive Simulations, Our World in Data graphs or datasets, Canva-created presentations or visuals, and Genially or similar interactive platforms.
Third-party content retains its original license and terms of use and is not re-licensed under the VST Creative Commons license. Users must comply with the applicable third-party licenses.
VST is not responsible for the licensing, privacy practices, or data handling policies of third-party platforms.
8. Privacy and Data Practices
Virtual Science Teachers collects limited, privacy-focused technical information necessary to operate, secure, and improve the website.
VST uses first-party, privacy-respecting analytics tools that do not use advertising networks, do not track users across other websites, do not collect personal or student-identifying information, and are used only in aggregate to improve educational resources.
VST does not require user accounts, collect student profiles, or knowingly collect personal information from children.
Additional details are available in the VST Privacy Statement.
9. Donations and Financial Transactions
Donations to Virtual Science Teachers are processed securely through Zeffy, a third-party fundraising platform.
VST does not store or process payment card information.
By donating, you agree to Zeffy’s terms and privacy policy. VST is not responsible for the data practices of third-party payment processors.
10. Disclaimers and Limitation of Liability
The VST website and its content are provided “as is” and “as available.”
Virtual Science Teachers makes no warranties regarding accuracy, completeness, or uninterrupted access.
VST is not liable for technical issues, errors, omissions, or outcomes resulting from use of the website or content.
Use of the website is at your own risk.
11. Modifications to Website or Terms
Virtual Science Teachers may update or modify these Terms of Use at any time.
Continued use of the website after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the revised terms.
12. Contact Information
Virtual Science Teachers
1500 Shipyard Rd, Suite D #1014
Chesapeake, VA 23323
United States