Culturally-responsive education emphasizes and promotes the fluid integration of place-based and culturally relevant instruction with academic curriculum and standards to support positive student-identity formation, which Erikson (1968) states is a fundamental developmental task of early adolescence. Presenters will share examples of multicultural lessons created and implemented in Samoa and Hawaiʻi, as examples of culturally-responsive curriculum and instruction, and how crossing the borders of traditional teaching had positive effects on them and their students. The following themes emerged after analyzing multiple case studies of graduate level teacher candidates use of culturally-responsive pedagogy as their action research instructional interventions: a) students’ engagement increased, b) cooperative learning increased, c) parent/community involvement increased, d) the quality of student work increased, and e) students’ and teachers’ understanding of culture deepened. As well, the 2015 introduction of the State of Hawaiʻi’s newest culturally-responsive framework, Nā Hopena Aʻo will also be discussed, validating the current work of this graduate teacher education program.