Interested in starting your own journey in education but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Tanyss Munro, Ph.D., Co-Founder and Director of Amarok Society, located in Bella Coola, BC, Canada.

What's your organization, and who are your members?

I co-founded Amarok Society with my husband. It's a registered charity that provides education to some of the poorest children in the world with no access to education. We do this by teaching illiterate mothers who then teach groups of children - all on a volunteer basis. These mothers are transforming thousands of lives. Our schools aren't for children; they're for mothers. We rent shacks where they live, and they then go to their homes and teach five neighbourhood children what they're learning. These children go on to high school, and many graduate from college and university.

Tell us about yourself

I have a long history of working to make the world a better place through education. For many years, I worked as a principal and director of education in some of the most troubled Indigenous communities in Canada's far north. I continued this focus of work with Regional Indigenous governments and as senior advisor to two federal Ministers in Ottawa.

What's your biggest accomplishment as an organization?

Through education, there's nothing as fulfilling as watching highly marginalized people, whether that be illiterate mothers in mega-city slums or troubled youth in Indigenous communities, become powerful catalysts of positive change.

What's one of the hardest things that comes with being an organization?

For our charity, the most difficult thing is raising sufficient funds to answer the needs of these communities. Our waiting list for new schools is long.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow an organization today?

  1. Be passionate about what you're doing.
  2. Always have more than 'make money' central to your business.
  3. Build leadership inside your company as you grow.

Where can people find you and your group?

Website: https://www.amaroksociety.org/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AmarokSociety/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amaroksociety/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tanyssmunro/


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