PEXes (PEXs?) -- Support for PEX badges here on permies

One thing that often gets said when someone doesn't like the way a certain badge is made, is that "you're more than welcome to make your own PEX." I'm thinking many people found this answer unsatisfying, because there was a lot of uncertainty about whether or not a shiny badge would show up if someone completed a PEX badge. I'm here to tell you that, yes they (probably) will!

We decided to make a single set of PEX badges. They're a bit lighter than the PEP badges, to help differentiate them. So, if Johny made a PEJ food badge, and Marjorie made a PEM food badge, they would both share the same PEX badge. And so, someone could earn a PEP food badge and a PEX food badge and have both show in their signature, but they couldn't have two PEX food badges in their signature (if that makes sense...)

Of course, all the details aren't worked out. Like, who certifies PEX badges? (This is easy if a Staff person makes a PEX, more complicated if non-staff do, because we certify with staff comments, and non-staff can't make comments, yet).  And, could someone use a PEX badge to help complete their PEP 1?  (Maybe if 1/4th or less of their badges are PEX?)

We do know that PEX badges will be required to have at least the minimum hour requirements that PEP badges have. Juan might want his PEJ foraging badge to take 8 hours, and that would be fine. It would not be fine if Juan wanted it to take 4  hours.

Here's the shiny badges!

Dimensional Woodworking

Roundwood Woodworking

Natural Building

Food Preservation

Foraging

Gardening

Textiles

Rocket

Toolcare

Metalworking

Animal Care

Electricity

Woodland Care

Community

Commerce

Earthworks

Greywater

Plumbing

Nest

Natural Medicine

Homesteading



I spent quite a bit of time editing the original PEP badges to make PEX badges beause I really like shiny badges, and figure other people do, too! I think that if someone wants to have a different badge (teaching badge,  or art badge or something like that), permies might be able to host that badge. BUT, I'd need to make it. And, they take quite a few hours to make from scratch as they are such tiny images (and, I don't have many free hours in my day, so compensation would be really handy!). I'm thinking Paul would not allow those to help meet a PEP1 badge, but they could certainly work toward someone's PEX1 badge.

There's a LOT of I don't know in this thread. But, we've got the ball rolling for PEX. So, if someone says, "Make your PEX", know that we DO have a badge system for PEX, and there is a way for people to earn a shiny badge in their signature when they complete a PEX!

There was some recent talk about a PEA program - for apartment dwellers all over the world.  The idea is that there would be PEA1 certification and PEA2 certification.  And somebody with PEA1 certification might come to my place and get PEP1 certified in about four days.

How different/similar do the PEX badges need to be? As an example take the foraging PEP badge, it has lists of specific plants, can one just copy the badge but replace plants with ones found in your area?  so

(fresh list) harvest one of:
- one pound (total) of:
      o huckleberries
      o wild raspberries
      o salmonberries
      o serviceberries
      o wild blackberries (the tiny, trailing variety)
- two pounds of:
      o blackberries
      o chokecherries
      o mulberries

might become

(fresh list) harvest one of:
- one pound (total) of:
      o blackberries
      o wild raspberries
      o haws
      o Bilberries
      o cranberry
- two pounds of:
      o rosehips
      o wild apples
      o elderberries

Or could it simply say

(fresh list) harvest one of:
- one pound (total) of: any wild berry
   
- two pounds of: a different wild berry

   

I think the idea is to develop a full program according to a different set of standards.  

So it would have about the same heft as PEP, but it would be, say, PES instead of PEP.  

I’m considering creating a “badge” program for the Urban Homesteading School that I run, especially since we’re all currently “social distancing”. This wouldn’t run through permies.com and wouldn’t add any burden to staff here. Many, but not all, of the existing PEP and PEA badges would be usable. For something independent like this, would it be appropriate for me to use your work as a basis? I’d be happy to give credit - or not, since you don’t know what I might do with it! - in any way that seems good to you.

In case anyone would like to take a look at my PEX offshoot, it's here:
http://uhspr.ca/merit-badges/

Right now, Levels 1 and 2 of the Gardening badges are complete, and a Pandemic badge: I'm working on food prep badges next.

My audience and purpose are quite different from Paul's, so the program is different, but the lineage shows :)