Web cookies (also called HTTP cookies, browser cookies, or simply cookies) are small pieces of data that websites store on your device (computer, phone, etc.) through your web browser. They are used to remember information about you and your interactions with the site.
Purpose of Cookies:
Session Management:
Keeping you logged in
Remembering items in a shopping cart
Saving language or theme preferences
Personalization:
Tailoring content or ads based on your previous activity
Tracking & Analytics:
Monitoring browsing behavior for analytics or marketing purposes
Types of Cookies:
Session Cookies:
Temporary; deleted when you close your browser
Used for things like keeping you logged in during a single session
Persistent Cookies:
Stored on your device until they expire or are manually deleted
Used for remembering login credentials, settings, etc.
First-Party Cookies:
Set by the website you're visiting directly
Third-Party Cookies:
Set by other domains (usually advertisers) embedded in the website
Commonly used for tracking across multiple sites
Authentication cookies are a special type of web cookie used to identify and verify a user after they log in to a website or web application.
What They Do:
Once you log in to a site, the server creates an authentication cookie and sends it to your browser. This cookie:
Proves to the website that you're logged in
Prevents you from having to log in again on every page you visit
Can persist across sessions if you select "Remember me"
What's Inside an Authentication Cookie?
Typically, it contains:
A unique session ID (not your actual password)
Optional metadata (e.g., expiration time, security flags)
Analytics cookies are cookies used to collect data about how visitors interact with a website. Their primary purpose is to help website owners understand and improve user experience by analyzing things like:
How users navigate the site
Which pages are most/least visited
How long users stay on each page
What device, browser, or location the user is from
What They Track:
Some examples of data analytics cookies may collect:
Page views and time spent on pages
Click paths (how users move from page to page)
Bounce rate (users who leave without interacting)
User demographics (location, language, device)
Referring websites (how users arrived at the site)
Here’s how you can disable cookies in common browsers:
1. Google Chrome
Open Chrome and click the three vertical dots in the top-right corner.
Go to Settings > Privacy and security > Cookies and other site data.
Choose your preferred option:
Block all cookies (not recommended, can break most websites).
Block third-party cookies (can block ads and tracking cookies).
2. Mozilla Firefox
Open Firefox and click the three horizontal lines in the top-right corner.
Go to Settings > Privacy & Security.
Under the Enhanced Tracking Protection section, choose Strict to block most cookies or Custom to manually choose which cookies to block.
3. Safari
Open Safari and click Safari in the top-left corner of the screen.
Go to Preferences > Privacy.
Check Block all cookies to stop all cookies, or select options to block third-party cookies.
4. Microsoft Edge
Open Edge and click the three horizontal dots in the top-right corner.
Go to Settings > Privacy, search, and services > Cookies and site permissions.
Select your cookie settings from there, including blocking all cookies or blocking third-party cookies.
5. On Mobile (iOS/Android)
For Safari on iOS: Go to Settings > Safari > Privacy & Security > Block All Cookies.
For Chrome on Android: Open the app, tap the three dots, go to Settings > Privacy and security > Cookies.
Be Aware:
Disabling cookies can make your online experience more difficult. Some websites may not load properly, or you may be logged out frequently. Also, certain features may not work as expected.
Once per month during the academic year, members of the Husky Sport undergraduate staff meet as a group. In addition to program updates and overviews, each meeting’s content is focused around a central topic. These topics are selected to support staff to work more effectively with, or on the behalf of the children and youth who we serve. Typically there are supplemental materials sent to the staff the week before the meetings, these materials are used to inform conversation at the meeting.
To define and discuss organizational culture, and to create messages to share with outside audiences describing the work of Husky Sport. Staff focused on sharing the culture of Husky sport in three different areas: as an overall organization, UConn specific, and Hartford specific.
October 2015: Asset-Based vs. Deficit-Based Approaches
To explore the differences between asset-based and deficit-based mindsets and the importance of incorporating asset-based approaches and language into Husky Sport. Staff also discussed specific ways to realistically approach challenges that they face from an asset-based mindset.
November 2015: White Privilege
To engage in critical dialogue around white privilege and to examine impacts of white privilege in our society, and specifically within Husky Sport. Discussions were informed by individual experience and a pre-meeting reading assignment.
December 2015: Structural Racism and Privilege
To encourage collaborative dialogue and critical thought around social issues that are relevant to practice.
February 2016: Developing Organizational Pitches and Fundraising
To discuss Husky Sport’s mission, values and purpose and learn more about Ignite, the spring fundraising initiative. Staff worked in groups to utilize buzzwords and create pitches about the different components of Husky Sport to an outside audience.
March 2016: Intergroup Dialogue about Race
To examine multiple types of conversation formats and participate in a dialogue to further staff understanding regarding race. Conversation was informed by a UConn Reads art exhibit about race that staff visited prior to the meeting.
April 2015: SNAP-Ed and Nutrition Education
To allow staff to participate in an interactive nutrition-focused meeting in which they rotated through stations and learned about different nutrition topics relevant to Husky Sport programming. The stations included an exotic fruit taste testing and discussing information about our funder SNAP-Ed, the importance of portion control and the dangers of sugar-sweetened beverages.
Staff will engage in Traffic Jam (group activity), as a way to team build through active learning. Staff will discuss Traffic Jam activity and make connections to Husky Sport organizational culture. Directors will communicate upcoming events, dates and items for attention
October 2016: Digital Engagement
Staff will participate in a form of digital engagement to share their own knowledge of Husky Sport including pillars of Husky Sport and Husky Sport funding. Staff will work together in small groups to discuss their perceptions of Husky Sport, highlighting connection to physical activity and nutrition. Staff will discuss in small groups how they would describe Husky Sport to others.
December 2016: Diversity and Inclusion in Practice: Reflection of Semester
Staff will review end of semester summaries such as number of trips to Hartford, number of SNAP-Ed funded tastings that were distributed, and social media efforts focused on continuous learning. Staff will reflect on the fall semester of programming, highlighting success that they have experienced. Staff will highlight ways in which they are an inclusive practitioners while considering areas of improvement both on an individual and organizational level.
February 2017: Developing Organizational Pitches and Fundraising
Staff will discuss upcoming fundraising initiatives. Staff will discuss Husky Sport funding sources, including SNAP-Ed. Staff will discuss SNAP-Ed funding and the activities and programs that it funds within the larger organization.
March 2017: Implicit Bias
Build a shared knowledge of implicit bias. Staff will begin to recognize the impacts of socialization on everyday interactions. Staff will discuss ways in which we serve our clients in inclusive and equitable ways. Staff will participate in critical dialogue on personal biases.