Mark Yeates | Innovation Lead - Hybrid Learning
Good Samaritan Catholic College

Mark Yeates – Educational Leader, Innovator & Mentor Mark Yeates is a dynamic educational leader with more than 35 years of experience across the Australian P-12, VET, tertiary, and not-for-profit education sectors. His career reflects a rare blend of visionary leadership, practical innovation, and deep community engagement, consistently building programs that empower both teachers and students to thrive in rapidly evolving learning environments. Leadership & Strategic Impact Mark has held numerous senior roles, including Year 11 Coordinator, Design Technologies Coordinator, Sports Master, Robotics Coach, Teacher Mentor, and is currently engaged with Brisbane Catholic Education (BCE) in leadership and advisory capacities. He has applied his Masters in Educational Leadership to drive strategic planning, curriculum innovation, and staff professional development, with a leadership style rooted in mentorship, relational trust, and servant leadership. Mark is frequently sought after for school transformation initiatives. He has successfully led the integration of 3D printing, robotics, VR/AR, drones, and digital manufacturing into classrooms from Years 4–12, including the creation of EESTEAM, a new subject that mapped ACARA capabilities against Bloom’s Taxonomy to future-proof learning. He has also pioneered Hybrid Learning models that blend Teams-based digital delivery, FrameVR immersive hubs, and physical maker-spaces to support BCE’s 146 schools in building equitable, future-focused education ecosystems. Innovation & Industry Partnerships A passionate innovator, Mark has designed frameworks such as DIEP Learning, a study of how the journey credentialling might work (NFT-style micro-credentialing), and he mentored a student that created Austral Vision AI, a platform connecting youth with space-industry experts. His programs often align with UN Global Goals and are informed by strong industry collaborations (NextDC, Helimods, SkyOps, Bambu Lab, HavenXR, universities, and local councils). These initiatives bridge school learning with regional economic development & growth, vocational futures, and cutting-edge technology like Drones, Robotics, 3D Printing, Prototyping,VR,AR,XR, AI, quantum computing, and sustainable manufacturing in sustainable ways in schools. Wellbeing, Engagement & Catholic Identity Mark brings a strong record in student wellbeing, behaviour, and engagement leadership. He has coordinated initiatives such as The Resilience Project, PB4L frameworks, and MTSS-aligned wellbeing programs. His leadership demonstrates a commitment to Catholic mission and values, fostering environments where faith, community service, and inclusive education are central. Highlights include leading students to:

• His students created a floatation device for a special needs student so he could have his first un-assisted swim.
• Built a custom beach wheelchair for a student in a car accident, who was left with substantial brain damage.
• Deliver personalised Christmas ornaments to children with disabilities and yearly to younger cohorts
• Organise large-scale “Make a Difference” community service projects, to build community understanding.
• Establish ongoing connections between schools, parishes, local communities and government bodies.

Research, Data & Teacher Growth Mark is deeply data-driven and research-oriented, regularly integrating analytics from tools like Tell Them From Me, Engage Analytics, and Microsoft Insights to inform strategic decision-making. He has designed teacher professional learning ecosystems, including:

• 5415 PD micro-sessions – daily 15-minute TeachMeet-style PDs logged against AITSL standards,
• Teacher Navigator Bot – AI-enabled professional learning feedback system and a Reading Agent created for Microsoft Reading Accelerators
• Year Coordinator Strategy – aligning collaborative Teams setup with MTSS framework in mind.

Committed to developing teacher retention and wellbeing, by advocating for environments where teachers can thrive through personalised professional growth, reduced administrative load via AI tools, and collaborative hybrid ecosystems. Philosophy & Legacy Mark’s professional philosophy is grounded in mentorship, community service, and lifelong learning. He has been a founding member of Educational Services Australia’s Scootle curriculum writing team many moons ago, completed Restorative Justice and Rock and Water training, and remains future-focused: “I’m 55 and still learning hard and fast.” Vision To leave a legacy of Hybrid Learning Hubs, global digital creation networks, with industry-connected credentials that will ensure every learner—regardless of background—can access authentic, future-ready opportunities.