Service-learning literature regularly recommends small group activities as a learning tool but rarely examines the use of a broader application of a small group dynamics framework into a service-learning course. In this research, we explore the integration of small group dynamics frameworks into a service-learning classroom; this pedagogical layering enhances the desired outcomes of service-learning. This intentional layering aims to reinvigorate research and practice in the areas of curricular design, theoretical framing, and pedagogical approaches.