Service-learning courses within a university setting help students to better understand their roles as members of civil society. This article examines the evolution of an urban stream cleanup project that has been part of a world regions geography course for six years. After connecting course goals with the current best practice literature on student engagement and "greening of the curriculum," the context of the cleanup is discussed, focusing on the physical geography of the urban stream and political and university perspectives that influence the environmental status of the stream. The article analyzes the successes and challenges of the project and identifies strategies that have evolved in order to enhance the success of the project. It closes with recommendations for using this as a model for generating service-learning courses at other universities. (Contains 3 figures.)