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The Yili Program

Yiliyapinya Indigenous Corporation

The Yili Program combines cultural wisdom with neuroscience to improve holistic wellbeing and assist Indigenous 10- to 14-year-olds who have been disengaged from school to return to school.

  • QLD

Pricing: Free

Origin: Developed in Australia for Australian schooling contexts

Product type: External support services; Incursion, excursion or immersive experience

Contact details

Yiliyapinya Indigenous Corporation
ABN: 16 133 150 979

https://yiliyapinya.org.au/what

admin@yiliyapinya.org.au

Focus areas

  • Positive relationships

  • Belonging and inclusion

  • Mental health literacy and life skills

  • Self-regulation and engagement

  • Resilience and optimism

  • Suicide and self-harm

Curriculum alignment

Prospective users

Audience: Intensive individualised approach (Tier 3)

Communities: First Nations

Context: School or centre-based

Main beneficiaries: Year 4, Year 5, Year 6, Year 7, Year 8, Year 9

Delivery style: Delivered by program staff

Aims & approach

The Yili Program is for Indigenous 10- to 14-year-olds living in Brisbane who have been disengaged from school for at least 12 months and are involved in the child safety and youth justice systems, supporting them through transitions into school, training or employment.

Taking a deep restorative approach, participants of the Yili Program have the opportunity to experience cultural camps, Brain Health training, sports, cooking, art therapy, Lego therapy, equine therapy, literacy and numeracy activities, podcasting and music creation, amongst others.

The aim of the program is to establish trust and safety so that participants can start their healing journey and transition back to school.

The program is person-centred rather than prescriptive or linear, adaptable to the needs of each individual. The average time spent in the program is 8 months.

It was designed with the Elders, young people and their families, and is delivered by Indigenous Teachers and support staff.

Implementation support

  • Access to professional facilitator, instructor or mentor

Evidence

The Yili Program is informed by a unique combination of practices including neuroscience research and leading scientific innovations in Brain Health; Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander family and community ways of being, doing and learning; systems thinking and community co-design; and place-based delivery by a connected, collaborating community of organisations and individuals that have a deep understanding of the young person's context.