This paper reflects on the impact of engaging pre-service teachers in an academic service-learning project working with urban students on a place-based science project. This collaboration seeks to provide pre-service teachers with experiences that encourage them to recognize the importance students' funds of knowledge and help them develop the skills to identify, engage with and incorporate the local community cultural, social, and ecological assets meaningfully into their classroom. Analysis of the pre-service teachers' reflections suggests that support is needed connecting science standards to the complexity of authentic community-based science. In addition, small group interactions create opportunities to develop their cultural competence; and unless carefully structured and mediated whole class activities reinscribe stereotypes and deficit perspectives.