This paper argues that service learning and learning communities can be key to student retention. Anderson (1998) argues that service learning reflects the belief that education should develop social responsibility and prepare students to be involved citizens in democratic life. Service learning blends service activities with the academic curriculum in order to address real community needs. Gabelnick et al. (1990) define learning communities as purposeful restructuring of curriculum to link together courses or course work so that students find greater coherence in what they are learning as well as increased intellectual interaction with faculty and fellow students. Both service learning and learning communities are grounded in the work of John Dewey. This paper describes service learning in paired courses (Speech 100 and English 100) at Cerritos College in California. In conjunction with readings they were doing about innocent suffering, students chose an organization at which they would like to volunteer, and committed to 10 hours of group organizing and five hours of volunteer work at the organization. Group members wrote a paper and did a Power Point presentation on their project. The class had a low attrition rate, which the author theorizes may have been due to the cohesion developed within the class and the involvement in the surrounding community as a result of the project. (Contains 24 references.) (NB)