More than 70 young leaders identified by many Rotary clubs across the state have spent the last week in Wollongong at the annual Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) conference.
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Among them were Tyson Perry, of Dapto, and Amy Kearney, of Kiama Downs.
Team leader Chris Gibbs said the week was designed to give youth with community leadership potential the chance to learn from the best.
"It is a seven-day long intense seminar," Mr Gibbs said.
"We generally have around 12 to 15 speakers who run sessions. They give in-kind support and the value of their fees if we had to pay it would be around $50,000.
"It is fully run by Rotary clubs who select young people from the community and sponsor them to come along. It is facilitated by a team of four, including myself. So it is for youth by youth."
Mr Gibbs said in addition to the speakers, there were many activities, each of which had a purpose.
"We take people out and get them to challenge themselves and look at all aspects of their lives from leadership to community service and professional and personal development," he said.
Most of the 71 young leaders came from Rotary District 9675, which extends from Sydney Harbour to the Blue Mountains and south to Kiama.
But some were from the Hunter and one was from Canada.
Seminar director and RYLA chair Janice Hall said most of the high-profile speakers enjoyed supporting it so much they had been attending for well over a decade.
"It actually started in Queensland in 1958 and came to NSW in about 1963," she said.
"It has actually been held at the Tops Conference Centre every year, except the year when bushfires swept through three weeks before," she said.
Mr Perry, 20, sponsored by the Rotary Club of Illawarra Sunrise, said he really enjoyed exercises that revolved around meeting new people.
"And I really liked conquering the fear of heights," he said.
Ms Kearney, 20, was sponsored by the Rotary Club of Minnamurra and described the week as an amazing opportunity.
"Something like this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. On your own you would never just get together with so many complete strangers for a week and come and do all these activities. It is amazing how everyone gets on and we can all work in groups.
"I have really enjoyed doing challenges together and helping each other out. Doing that with people you don't know is just amazing. We have learnt many leadership skills," she said.
Ms Kearney is studying accounting and finance at the University of Wollongong, but is thinking about becoming a high school teacher.
Mr Perry is studying engineering at UOW, but would eventually like to run his own swim school, using the leadership qualities he's learnt.
