Positive Adventures
Positive Adventures National Headquarters, 4901 Morena Blvd, Suite 307, San Diego, CA 92117
About
Positive Adventures offers activities such as hikes, rock climbing, skits, team building, outdoor education, leadership development, service learning, environmental stewardship, Hands-On Environmental Service Learning, and a San Diego Surf Camp. The program provides outdoor education, leadership development, and team building opportunities to schools across the country, and offers programs throughout the Western U.S. in coastal, mountain, and desert regions. Positive Adventures provides programming for over 5000 students per year and employs over 35 Outdoor Educators.
Positive Adventures describes itself as California's premier experiential education company and utilizes adventurous experiences, service learning, and environmental stewardship to create platforms for personal and community growth. The organization focuses on social emotional learning through outdoor education and offers custom program design for all grade levels, including Summer Camps in San Diego and Hands-On Environmental Service Learning. Its core values are Family First; Efficient Excellence; Purposeful Programming; Constant Stoke and Community Do-Gooding; and Sustainability: Preserve, Conserve, CHANGE.
Positive Adventures was born in 2004, and Ryan Shortill founded the organization. In 2007, his longtime friend and fellow University of New Hampshire Outdoor Education Graduate, Jered Cherry, joined him in San Diego as the operating partner of Positive Adventures, and Ryan and Jered have been building up Positive Adventures over the last two decades. Jered Cherry is a University of New Hampshire Outdoor Education Graduate with an extensive background in risk management, building curriculum, and developing staff. The mission of Positive Adventures is to provide school partners with unique opportunities that create a platform for student growth, personal achievement, and education through experiential learning.
Positive Adventures prioritizes acknowledging, appreciating, and learning about the indigenous groups of each area where they guide programs, and honors the ancestors, present-day members, and future generations of these groups by discussing with students the importance of reconciliation and respect.
Schools describe their experiences with Positive Adventures in several ways. The Buckley School notes that the leaders were excellent and very organized, and that the schedule, activities, and logistics were well thought out and smooth, and appreciated the Day 1 check-in between the chaperones and Course Director. Pilgrim School highlights the way staff handled the closing ceremony and notes an ability to read a kid’s heart with a deep sense of empathy and ethics. Equitas Academy reports that impactful moments came during the hikes, rock climbing, and especially the skits, and that these moments gave scholars an opportunity to discover their inner strengths, talents, and find their voice. Oxnard School District states that students benefited in many ways, including perseverance, communication, collaboration, personal independence, and self-esteem, and that students who had never hiked before quickly came to enjoy the experience. Journey School shares that the goals of team building, getting students to be one as a group, and making great memories were met. Lennox Academy notes that it was a fun experience for both students and staff and that students got out of their comfort zone to try new things that most had never had a chance to do. Idyllwild School reports that Positive Adventures was flexible with their needs, listened to what they wanted, and molded to them instead of offering a canned program. Kirby School describes the program as thoughtfully planned, with a balance of structured and unstructured activities, many opportunities to build community and connection in the outdoors, and distinct moments for socio-emotional growth and reflection. San Francisco Day School states that Positive Adventures plans great activities and leaves a lasting impression on students about the importance of Leave No Trace ethics, supporting each other, and respecting the land.
Last updated April 4, 2026.
Positive Adventures describes itself as California's premier experiential education company and utilizes adventurous experiences, service learning, and environmental stewardship to create platforms for personal and community growth. The organization focuses on social emotional learning through outdoor education and offers custom program design for all grade levels, including Summer Camps in San Diego and Hands-On Environmental Service Learning. Its core values are Family First; Efficient Excellence; Purposeful Programming; Constant Stoke and Community Do-Gooding; and Sustainability: Preserve, Conserve, CHANGE.
Positive Adventures was born in 2004, and Ryan Shortill founded the organization. In 2007, his longtime friend and fellow University of New Hampshire Outdoor Education Graduate, Jered Cherry, joined him in San Diego as the operating partner of Positive Adventures, and Ryan and Jered have been building up Positive Adventures over the last two decades. Jered Cherry is a University of New Hampshire Outdoor Education Graduate with an extensive background in risk management, building curriculum, and developing staff. The mission of Positive Adventures is to provide school partners with unique opportunities that create a platform for student growth, personal achievement, and education through experiential learning.
Positive Adventures prioritizes acknowledging, appreciating, and learning about the indigenous groups of each area where they guide programs, and honors the ancestors, present-day members, and future generations of these groups by discussing with students the importance of reconciliation and respect.
Schools describe their experiences with Positive Adventures in several ways. The Buckley School notes that the leaders were excellent and very organized, and that the schedule, activities, and logistics were well thought out and smooth, and appreciated the Day 1 check-in between the chaperones and Course Director. Pilgrim School highlights the way staff handled the closing ceremony and notes an ability to read a kid’s heart with a deep sense of empathy and ethics. Equitas Academy reports that impactful moments came during the hikes, rock climbing, and especially the skits, and that these moments gave scholars an opportunity to discover their inner strengths, talents, and find their voice. Oxnard School District states that students benefited in many ways, including perseverance, communication, collaboration, personal independence, and self-esteem, and that students who had never hiked before quickly came to enjoy the experience. Journey School shares that the goals of team building, getting students to be one as a group, and making great memories were met. Lennox Academy notes that it was a fun experience for both students and staff and that students got out of their comfort zone to try new things that most had never had a chance to do. Idyllwild School reports that Positive Adventures was flexible with their needs, listened to what they wanted, and molded to them instead of offering a canned program. Kirby School describes the program as thoughtfully planned, with a balance of structured and unstructured activities, many opportunities to build community and connection in the outdoors, and distinct moments for socio-emotional growth and reflection. San Francisco Day School states that Positive Adventures plans great activities and leaves a lasting impression on students about the importance of Leave No Trace ethics, supporting each other, and respecting the land.
Last updated April 4, 2026.
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