What is BalanceBoard?

BalanceBoard is a free web app for middle and high school students that combines academic task management with mental health and wellness tracking. It syncs with Google Classroom to automatically import assignments, uses AI to detect stress and help manage workload, and provides anonymous community features (Vent Rooms, Study Pods, Peer Support Forum) so students can connect without social pressure.

Is BalanceBoard safe for teens?

Yes. BalanceBoard is designed with teen safety as its core priority. All community features use anonymous generated usernames. Vent Room messages auto-delete after 24 hours. The AI is hard-coded to refuse homework assistance and forbidden from romantic/relationship conversations. The platform complies with COPPA (13+ requirement), FERPA, and follows Safe Messaging Guidelines on suicide and self-harm. We do not sell student data or use it for advertising.

Does BalanceBoard access Google Classroom grades?

No. BalanceBoard only reads your enrolled course names, assignment titles, due dates, and submission status (turned in or not). It uses read-only API scopes and cannot access the content of submitted work, actual grades, or make any changes to your Google account.

Is BalanceBoard a mental health app?

BalanceBoard is a student wellness and organizational tool, not a clinical mental health treatment platform. It helps students track their stress, sleep, and mood over time and provides general wellness suggestions. It is not therapy, does not provide medical diagnoses, and is not a substitute for professional mental health care. For crisis support, students should contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline or Crisis Text Line (text HOME to 741741).

Can teachers or parents see a student's BalanceBoard data?

No. By default, only the student can see their own data — including wellness check-ins, AI conversations, tasks, and anonymous community posts. Teachers have no access. Parents have no access by default. A future optional counselor feature will allow licensed school counselors to view a wellness summary only with the student's explicit, revocable consent.

What AI does BalanceBoard use?

BalanceBoard uses Anthropic's Claude Haiku 4.5 for its AI Buddy and AI Wellness Coach. The AI helps manage tasks through natural language, detects stress signals, and provides wellness habit suggestions. It has strict guardrails: it will not do homework, won't engage in forbidden topics (politics, dating advice, medical diagnoses), and always redirects users in crisis to professional resources.

How do I delete my BalanceBoard account?

Go to Settings → Delete Account within the app, or email support@balanceboard.app with subject 'Data Deletion Request.' All personal data is purged within 30 days. You can also visit balanceboard.app/data-deletion for step-by-step instructions.

What is the minimum age for BalanceBoard?

BalanceBoard requires users to be at least 13 years old, in compliance with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). We do not knowingly collect data from children under 13.

Best Free Student Planner Apps

The "free" claim on student planner apps is one of the most misleading things ever. You download it, set everything up, and then realize the weekly view or the calendar sync or literally the core feature you need is locked behind a $7/month subscription. As a high schooler without a job, that's just not happening. So here are apps that are actually free for the stuff you actually need.

Genuinely free options

Google Calendar: fully free, works across all devices, unlimited events
Notion: free plan is actually quite good for individual students, not a bait-and-switch
BalanceBoard: free to use, Google Classroom sync included in the free tier
Google Tasks: super basic but integrated with Google Calendar, completely free
Trello: free tier works well for a Kanban-style assignment board

Apps that are more freemium than free

Some apps advertise themselves as free but gate the features students actually need. Some homework-specific apps let you add assignments for free but lock the reminders or the calendar view. Always check what's in the free tier before building your system around it — if the thing you most need is paid, you'll end up either paying or rebuilding.

What you can actually do for free right now

Seriously, you can run a pretty solid system with just Google Calendar + Google Tasks, both of which are completely free and already on your Google account. Add due dates to Tasks, block study time in Calendar, and you've got 80% of what any paid app offers. The main thing you miss is Google Classroom sync and cross-class views, which is where BalanceBoard comes in for free.

Don't pay for a planner app as a student unless you've genuinely hit the limit of what free tools can do. Most students haven't.

Best Free Student Planner Apps (That Don't Lock Everything Behind a Paywall)

Genuinely free options

Apps that are more freemium than free

What you can actually do for free right now

Keep it all in one place

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