About the centre

The Yawardani Jan-ga is an Equine Assisted Learning (EAL) program that adopts a neurodevelopment lens to understand the multifaceted social-emotional challenges experienced by Aboriginal young people and youth, implemented at multiple sites across Western Australia’s remote Kimberley. View the project website.

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Authentic and culturally informed research

Equine-assisted interventions are effective for people facing a wide variety of behavioural and emotional challenges, offering repeated soothing sensory and the potential to reorganise the neural systems improving cognitive, behavioural, and emotional functioning.

Forging ‘new territory'

Situated in Broome and Halls creek within the Kimberley regions of WA, Yawardani Jan-ga is forging ‘new territory’ for Murdoch, actively growing the Institute's reputation in the remote and regional setting. Yawardani Jan-ga has an outstanding panel of predominantly Aboriginal Chief Investigators and is guided by a Cultural Governance Group made of Kimberley Aboriginal community members.
2 people standing next to horse
Indigenous person with horse
Young indigenous school children standing in front of horse
Researcher with horse
“No matter how deadly you are, there’s no one that doesn’t need a hand from time to time.”
Professor Juli Coffin, Centre researcher
Professor Juli Coffin

Professor Juli Coffin

Centre Director
Sharmila Vaz

Dr Sharmila Vaz

Senior research fellow

Renee Wheeler

Program Manager
Girl petting horse

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