You know the type of thing – foul-mouthed delinquents hanging around the retail centres, scaring the shoppers and creating havoc for the security guards.

Just ask a few people around town and they’ll tell you kids have never had it so good, and they’re all lazy.

Add to that disrespectful and tardy in their dress sense, and you’ve probably got a picture in your mind of young people today - and that picture would be wrong.

Yes, there are some who fit the above description – they may even rate a mention in each and every one of those descriptions, but like so many things in life, our perceptions are sometimes coloured by stereotypes without taking the time to scratch below the surface.

On Wednesday night I had the privilege of speaking to about 30 young people who this week took part in the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards at Wagga’s Camp Kurrajong.

And I really do mean it was a privilege.

Too often, and especially we in the media, give young people a bad rap – it’s happened for centuries and won’t change any time soon.

But gathered in this room were some of the brightest, inspirational, intelligent and respectful individuals I have met for a long time – a group of people who are a credit to their communities, to their families and most of all, to themselves.

People aged between 18 and 28 are nominated by their local Rotary club that then sponsors those lucky enough to secure a place.

The five-day training program challenges, inspires and teaches the next generation of leaders – it’s an important program and one that is clearly valued by the participants whose enthusiasm and pure excitement was obvious throughout my fleeting visit.

I shouldn’t have been surprised, but having fended off plenty of piercing questions and insightful observations from these young adults, I left the camp with a rediscovered optimism about the future of our country.

While we all get caught up in the news of the moment and the daily grind, this really is “big picture” stuff – creating a core group of people who will provide a solid foundation of leadership for our communities.

The world is always evolving and our society changing, so it’s important the next generation has an understanding of a broad range of issues and a compassion for those who can too easily fall between the cracks.

Of all the fantastic work Rotary does, and it does plenty, I think this is one of its best programs.

Plucking these amazing young people from their home towns and giving them a week of intensive learning doesn’t just benefit the participants – this is the type of program that changes communities.

Forget the stereotypes, I left the night inspired and confident that despite the intragenerational battles, we are blessed with some amazing young people who really will change the world.