This interdisciplinary study aimed to explore the relationship between university students' participation in community development activities and their collaboration in the classroom. The students concerned form part of an ethnic diversity program in the Ecuadorian capital city, Quito. Findings demonstrate the potential for collaborative assignments to exacerbate conditions of inequality, and the belief that experiences and skills gained during participation in community development are transferable to group learning activities. Finally, like other factors impeding effective collaboration, conditions of inequality highlight the necessity for strategies to manage collaborative learning groups within the classroom.