Chelsey Jay
Name Chelsey Jay
Social Media @malamalearningcenter
Age 32
Town/Moku Wai'anae moku
Island Oʻahu
Leadership Category Mālama ʻĀina - Environmental Sustainability
Nominated by Shannon Bucasas
Share with us a little about yourself and what you do. Aloha! O wau o Chelsey Victoria Jay. No Wai'anae mai au, noho au ma Makakilo (ahupua'a of Honouliuli). Growing up on the west side has allowed me the wonderful privilege to simultaneously grow up near the ocean and at the foot of the Wai'anae mountains. This unique upbringing instilled the deep love I have for my community and culture, inspiring me to pursue a higher education and obtain a job within my community. I'm a proud 2007 graduate of Kamehameha Schools Kapālama and received a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Science and Resource Management from the University of Washington Seattle and a Master's degree in Educational Foundations from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. I currently serve as the Education and Community Partnerships Coordinator for Mālama Learning Center, an environmental education non-profit based in West O'ahu. I have been with this organization for 8.5 years now and have found great fulfillment and joy working and learning alongside the community that has raised me. My kuleana at MLC involves community organizing of environmental stewardship programs, creating opportunities for the community to access ‘āina in meaningful ways through relevant, place-based programming, building the capacity of the next generation and growing their passion for our ‘āina, and cultivating a culture of collaboration through relationship building. I feel that my life work up until this point has allowed me the unique opportunity to serve as a modern-day weaver or facilitator of learning where I’m able to connect students, educators, and the community to their ‘āina so that they can develop deeper relationships with the natural and cultural resources of Hawai‘i. It's a role that I enjoy being in as I feel ‘āina-based education is a powerful vehicle for shifting perspectives regarding the state of our environment, helps to enact positive change and support for current conservation efforts, and contributes to the environmental and cultural vitality of our beloved home. I believe that the health of our people and our 'āina go hand in hand so developing reciprocal relationships with our place is key in our efforts to perpetuate the legacy of our ancestors and shape a future rooted in love of land.
Why is the work that you do important to you? The community? When I think about my mo'olelo and how I’ve grown (and continue to grow) into the person that I am today, one influence has always remained a constant - my one hānau. Being born and raised along the Wai‘anae coast of O‘ahu (and in the 'Ewa moku) and having roots in this community through my family, I have always felt an inherent sense of commitment to this place. I feel very fortunate to work for Mālama Learning Center (MLC), a community-based organization that focuses on serving the West O‘ahu region through various hands-on learning opportunities bringing together science, conservation, culture, and art to promote sustainable living throughout Hawai‘i. We actively utilize ‘āina as a platform to teach across all disciplines ultimately helping people to connect to their place, culture, and each other fostering a character of aloha. ‘Āina-based education has been woven into every aspect of my job for the past almost 9 years as the Education and Community Partnerships Coordinator for Mālama Learning Center. As a native Hawaiian and ‘āina-based educator, I will always be a proponent for empowering communities, especially our ‘ōpio, to steward their natural and cultural resources. We utilize the integration of both traditional and modern knowledge systems to teach people of all backgrounds about our collective kuleana to care for Hawai'i's resources, elevating environmental and community resilience. I firmly believe that all of my life experiences have led me to this point where I’m able to live my passion everyday by contributing to the health and well-being of my community - a long time goal and priority of mine.
Share with us the qualities of leadership you admire and how you express those in your life. Great leaders that I look to for inspiration are humble, kind, passionate, and uplift others through their work. To me, effective leadership is about being of service to others and as Aunty Manu Meyer always says, to invite willingness for this work. Leadership qualities that I try hard to express in my life include leading by example (doing the work and walking the talk), having a collaborative mindset, and trying to nurture the gifts of others (especially our youth) through education, mentorship, and prioritizing community needs. It’s my belief that people will always remember how you made them feel. I hope that being a good leader to others means that I make everyone I work alongside feel seen and heard and that I value multiple perspectives and ways of knowing since we all have knowledge, experiences, and unique skill sets to bring to the table. I work hard to be accountable to my community by showing up everyday to do this work to the best of my ability and trying to be a good representative of my ‘ohana, ‘āina, and people. I have been committed to our work at MLC and to the beloved community we serve.
Who has inspired you to do the work that you are doing? I'm fortunate to stand on the shoulders of many amazing people who continuously invest their time and energy into nurturing my growth both personally and professionally. Three mentors who have guided me throughout my journey that I have to acknowledge are Kamuela Enos (former Kauhale Director of Social Enterprise at MA'O Organic Farms and current Director of Indigenous Innovation for the Office of the Vice President of Research and Innovation for the University of Hawai'i System), Pauline Sato (Executive & Program Director of Mālama Learning Center), and Aunty Manulani Aluli Meyer (Faculty Specialist, University of Hawai'i at West O'ahu). These wonderful people have taught me so much about how to work within communities in meaningful ways to uplift the stories of our people, places, and culture. I strive to embody the values and lessons they have taught me and consider them to be a fundamental part of my journey thus far. I'm also constantly inspired by the numerous haumāna I have the honor of working with and being able to experience their many gifts. Working with haumāna is the highlight of my job and pushes me to be a better person so that I can make my past, present, and future ancestors proud. I'm eternally grateful to my 'ohana, mentors, and haumāna for their aloha, 'ike, and support all these years.
What is one word that describes something you are excited about for the lāhui? Hulihia
What is one word that describes a pressing issue that is facing our lāhui? Access