Alongside his colleague Richard Browning, George is well known advocate, leader and voice in the field of service learning.
George began teaching at Radford College in 1989 as an English teacher and through the years has also taught Drama, General Studies, RaVE and Support Based Learning. He is well known for a lengthy period as a Year Coordinator; director of Junior Drama - with his play Squares being staged 3 three times - as well as numerous irreverent School Musicals in the 90s and 00s; as a multiple premiership-winning soccer coach; a band mentor; and less predictably having been involved as announcer at School Carnivals, in Mock Trial, Friday Activity Reading Programs and Softball.
In 2007, with Rachael Bishop, he founded teamSUPPORT, a project designed to encourage young people to participate in and lead charitable work. The teamSUPPORT project was honoured with an Order of Australia Association Committee Award in 2010 and with a National Volunteer Award (Under 25 Team Award) from the Australian Government in 2011.
This was all followed by George's deeply personal memoir, Little Life, which traced the formation of teamSUPPORT alongside caring for a mother with dementia. May 3 saw the publication of its sequel, Big Life, which details his service learning philosophy in light of a recent project working with Radford staff and students, as well as his rock band Junk Sculpture, in developing lasting relationships with people in Gamilaraay country of northern New South Wales. These nurtured relationships, the school programs developed and the raised awareness of indigenous issues, history and culture during these "G-trips" were recognised with an Order of Australia Association Committee Award in 2015.
George was keynote speaker for the 2018 Transforming Service Conference presenting a piece on the Radford Gamilaraay Trips and he also received a nomination for the 2018 ACT Public Education Awards for his oversight of Radford College's Student Engagement Program with Cranleigh School.
The Road to Gamilaraay
Transforming Service Conference
Trinity College, Kew – 14 April 2018
Near Myall Creek
Rotary Sunrise
Regatta Point, Canberra – 22 March 2018
I Want Deeds Not Words!
Rotary Sunrise
Regatta Point, Canberra – 21 September 2017
How to help Close The Gap as Teenagers
Staff & Students
Somerset College, Mudgeeraba – 24 April 2017
A Service Learning Model
Warwick's Administrators/Principals Road Trip
Radford College, Canberra – 23 October 2015
Leadership, Service…. Same Thing
Dirrum Dirrum Conference
Radford College, Canberra – 3 August 2015
Meeting the Needs of Indigenous Students in Australian Classrooms - Crossing The Divide and Gamilaraay Country
Radford College Secondary School Professional Learning : Embedding Best Practice
Radford College, Canberra – 29 January 2015
Drifting North to Check Things Out - The Gamilaraay Trips
Australian Government Department of Education, BBF Programme and Indigenous Policy Team
Early Childhood Initiatives Group – 21 November 2014
Disability Awareness - How We Actually See People with Disabilities
Sony Foundation Camp Training
Canberra Grammar School, Canberra – 20 November 2014
Say fair's fair, pay the rent, pay our share
Dirrum Dirrum Conference
Radford College, Canberra - 1 to 4 August, 2014
Has anything you’ve done made your life better?
Footsteps program
Marist College, Canberra – 7 May 2014
Disability Awareness - How We Actually See People with Disabilities
Sony Foundation Camp Training
Canberra Grammar School, Canberra – 2 November 2012
Has anything you’ve done made your life better?
Footsteps program
Marist College, Canberra – 9 May 2012
Finding Yourself Through Service
Staff & Students
Somerset College, Mudgeeraba – 24 April 2012
Finding Yourself Through Service – A Spectator’s Practical Guide
AHISA Pastoral Care Conference
Twin Waters, Sunshine Coast – 2 April 2012
If I Can See You, You Can See Me
The naming of the John Leyshon Lecture Theatre
Radford College, Canberra – 17 September 2011
Has anything you’ve done made your life better?
Footsteps program
Marist College, Canberra – 25 May 2011
Supporting You – The Journey of Dementia
Dementia Network Conference - Alzheimer’s Australia, ACT
Canberra Southern Cross Club – 9 March 2011
Finding Self Through Service: teamSUPPORT
National Boys Education Conference K-12
King’s School, Parramatta – 10 October 2010