The people behind the work.
Sheryl Batchelor
"No one-size-fits-all — because no two brains are the same."
Sheryl is an Aboriginal woman with ancestral ties to Kunja Country. After decades in the education sector, Sheryl founded Yiliyapinya in 2019 because of a gap in the system for Indigenous children and young people who had experienced trauma and were disengaging or being forced out of school.
Sheryl saw there was no place for these young people to feel safe, heal, and re-engage with learning. After being mentored by Neuroscientists, she created Yiliyapinya and the foundational Yili Program® as a restorative, culturally responsive, relational, neuro-informed approach.
With more than 30 years of experience across education, neuroplasticity, trauma-informed practice and community wellbeing, Sheryl is a well sought after speaker as well as an Adjunct Professor at Queensland University of Technology's School of Justice, contributing to research and policy on brain health, healing and systems change.
Many disciplines. One commitment.
The Yiliyapinya team brings together expertise across health, education, culture and community — all deeply committed to the genuine and holistic care of the children, young people and supporting workforce we work with.
The majority of our team are Indigenous — and all of us are deeply committed to the genuine and holistic care of the children, young people and supporting workforce we work with.
Our board
Yiliyapinya is governed by a majority Indigenous board of directors who bring deep expertise across five key areas — and hold us to the same values we hold ourselves to in our programs.
leadership
affairs
We'd love to hear from you
We partner with schools, organisations and workforces to build brain health capacity — wherever you are in Australia, or the world.