What is MSCI?

The Micronesian Stick Chart Institute (MSCI) is a locally founded, independent organization dedicated to empowering the people of the Freely Associated States (FAS) through accessible information, civic engagement, and evidence-based policy analysis.

Rooted in the unique identity and lived realities of the FAS, MSCI exists to keep communities informed and connected across islands and diaspora. We create platforms for citizen voices to speak on the challenges and opportunities facing Micronesia—from outmigration and governance, to geopolitical pressures and regional partnerships.

By prioritizing community-centered solutions, MSCI strives to be a trusted, homegrown space for research, dialogue, and transparency in a rapidly changing world.

Our Values

  • • We believe that information is power.

    • MSCI is committed to open, honest, and accessible communication—with the public, with partners, and with the governments we engage.

    • We demystify public policy for the everyday citizen.

    • We publish our sources, methods, and limitations.

    • We support open government and accountable institutions.

  • • MSCI is dedicated to producing evidence-based, high-quality research that reflects the

    realities of life in the FAS.

    • We prioritize data verification, contextual accuracy, and clarity.

    • We seek to close the gap in regional data availability and analysis.

    • We value local knowledge and lived experience as valid forms of evidence.

  • • MSCI is founded by Micronesians, for Micronesians.

    • We believe that solutions should come from within the region, not imposed from outside.

    • We uplift Micronesian leadership, institutions, and talent.

    • We work to ensure that communities are not just recipients, but shapers of policy.

  • • We create spaces for difficult conversations—on migration, sovereignty, climate, identity, and more.

    • We encourage civil debate and critical thinking.

    • We believe in listening as much as we speak, and learning as much as we lead.

Our Team

Caroline Adams

Co-Founder and Executive Director

Caroline Adams is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Micronesian Stick Chart Institute. She brings over 20 years of international development experience through her work with The Asia Foundation, Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), and the World Bank. Her work has spanned East Asia, the Pacific, and West Africa, with a portfolio that includes early childhood development, digital communications, and port infrastructure improvement. She has supported initiatives on marine plastic reduction in partnership with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and advanced programs focused on renewable energy, digitalization, and climate resilience with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the West African Power Pool (WAPP).

She holds a Master’s degree in Economic and Community Development from Pennsylvania State University and is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and Sustainability Professional. As an Indigenous Micronesian, she is passionate about amplifying the voices of Pacific communities and bridging information gaps between governments and citizens, both at home and throughout the diaspora.

Jourdyn Adams

Co-Founder and Director of Communications and Advocacy

Jourdyn Adams is the Co-Founder and Director of Communications and Advocacy of the Micronesian Stick Chart Institute. She is co-owner and manager of APLYS Consulting, a communications firm based in Micronesia. Jourdyn has supported the communications developments of key organizations in the North Pacific, including the Micronesia Challenge (MC), Micronesia Conservation Trust (MCT), The Nature Conservancy (TNC), and the Global Funds for Coral Reefs (GFCR).

She graduated from Baylor University in 2023 with a major in Philosophy and double minors in Advertising and Creative Writing. Jourdyn will attend law school this Fall '25 semester. As a Micronesian raised in Pohnpei, she is passionate about preserving Micronesian history and culture through storytelling, while also promoting environmental sustainability and local capacity development within Micronesia.

Our Story

Names Are the First Stories We Tell

Our name honors the profound wisdom of our ancestors. For generations, Micronesians crafted stick charts - ingenious tools made from coconut fronds, shells, and sennit - to map the unseen. Far from rudimentary, these charts encoded sophisticated knowledge of ocean swells, wave patterns, and island positions. They translated the rhythms of the sea into tools for wayfinding, demonstrating a scientific and spiritual understanding of the expansive ocean that rivaled any contemporary system.

Today, Micronesians once again find themselves navigating complex and shifting currents - this time, of a different nature. We face waves of outmigration, rapid cultural transformation, economic fragility, climate shocks, and intensifying geopolitical pressures. The forces push and pull our communities in ways that are often beyond our control.

But just as our ancestors studied the swells and currents to set their course, we too must orient ourselves. In a world of constant movement, navigators must place their trust in a wisdom that transcends time - we too need to anchor ourselves to enduring truths while we navigate the shifting tides. For us, this means grounding our course in the values, insights, and aspirations of our people.

The Micronesian Stick Chart Institute draws from the past to guide the future. Like the charts, we seek to make sense of invisible forces, to support informed decisions, and to help our communities not merely drift, but steer with intention, insight, and inquiry.