# PoW & Completion Criteria

At Btrust Builders, progress is measured by what you build and contribute, not by time spent or attendance.

We don’t issue certificates for simply showing up. Instead, we recognize builders who consistently engage, complete meaningful work, and demonstrate learning through practice.

This page explains what Proof of Work (PoW) means across Builders pathways and how completion is determined.

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## What Proof of Work Means

Proof of Work is evidence that you:

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Actively engaged with your pathway’s learning material
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Applied your learning through practical work
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Maintained consistency and follow-through over time
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Your Proof of Work lives in public, verifiable spaces (GitHub repositories, submissions, discussions, demos, or written reflections), not in private claims.

This reflects how credibility works in open-source communities:

> What you build and share matters more than what you say you know.

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## What Counts as Proof of Work

While details vary by pathway, Proof of Work generally includes:

<table data-header-hidden><thead><tr><th width="232.21484375" valign="top"></th><th></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td valign="top">Learning Milestones </td><td><p>Evidence that you meaningfully engaged with the core material: </p><ul><li>Completion of required modules, chapters, or exercises</li><li>Screenshots or progress markers showing engagement</li><li>Written reflections, notes, or summaries (where required)</li></ul></td></tr><tr><td valign="top">Practical Work &#x26; Deliverables</td><td><p>Evidence that you applied your learning:</p><ul><li>Completed Builders tasks or exercises</li><li>Code written and pushed to GitHub with clear commits</li><li>Written analyses, structured responses, or reflections</li><li>Demos, walkthroughs, or presentations</li></ul><p>For technical pathways, public code and commit history are the strongest signals of progress.</p></td></tr><tr><td valign="top">Consistent Weekly Submissions</td><td><p>Proof of consistency includes:</p><ul><li>Submitting weekly progress updates on time</li><li>Sharing links to completed work and supporting evidence</li><li>Clear signals of steady effort over time</li></ul><p>Consistency matters more than perfection.</p></td></tr><tr><td valign="top">Community Participation</td><td><p>Pathways are designed to foster collaboration:</p><ul><li>Attending sync calls, study sessions, discussions or office hours</li><li>Asking thoughtful questions or sharing solutions </li><li>Helping peers, giving feedback, or sharing learnings</li></ul><p>You don’t need to be loud, you do need to be present.</p></td></tr></tbody></table>

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## Core Completion Requirements

To complete a Builders pathway, participants typically must:

* [ ] Complete required learning modules or materials
* [ ] Submit all (or a defined majority of) Builders tasks
* [ ] Provide public Proof of Work (code, writing, or demos)
* [ ] Engage consistently through weekly submissions and participation

**Notes:**

* Each pathway may define minimum thresholds (e.g., “4 out of 5 tasks completed”)
* Completion is based on effort and demonstrated learning, not mastery
* Late or partial work may affect completion status
* Live pathways may include additional participation expectations

Details are always communicated clearly at the start of each pathway.

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## What  You Receive Upon Completion

#### **Builders Proof of Work Recognition**

* Official recognition as a Btrust Builders Pathway Graduate
* Inclusion in internal Builders tracking and alumni records

> This is not a certificate, but a signal of demonstrated effort and learning.

#### Sharable Evidence of Learning

You leave with:

* Public artifacts (code, writing, or projects)
* A clear learning trail to reference for:
* Open-source contributions
* Grant or fellowship applications
* Future Builders opportunities

> Your Proof of Work is yours to carry forward.

#### Clear Next Steps

Depending on your pathway and performance, you may:

* Be encouraged toward more advanced Builders pathways
* Be recommended for open-source projects&#x20;
* Be considered for grants, fellowships, or supported work

> Completion opens doors, it does not guarantee outcomes.

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## What Does *Not* Count as Completion

The following alone do not qualify:

* Watching content without submitting work
* Attending calls without completing required tasks
* Private or unpublished work without public proof
* Last-minute submissions without meaningful engagement.&#x20;

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Completing a pathway means you:

* Took ownership of your learning
* Produced real, verifiable work
* Demonstrated reliability over time

#### That signal matters, inside Btrust Builders and far beyond it.