Two cases of community-engaged, project-based learning in a graduate class are presented from the perspective of the students involved with the projects. The self-reported student learning is compared between two similarly-themed projects that took different approaches to building partnerships and is mapped onto the new University of Guelph Learning Outcomes. This pedagogical approach in a graduate class holds promise for implementing and achieving the Learning Outcomes in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Medicine (STEM)/Life Sciences.