As part of Kenya’s national Values-Based Education (VbE) initiative, a targeted effort was made to include 16 Special Needs Education (SNE) institutions in a broader baseline survey and capacity-building program, spanning 19 counties. This inclusion reflects a growing recognition that learners with special needs deserve equal opportunities to experience values-based learning environments that foster moral development, character formation, and holistic growth. In the Central and Eastern SNE cluster, over 200 learners across four institutions—Raimu Integrated School (Kirinyaga), Tumu Tumu School for the Hearing Impaired (Nyeri), Isiolo School for the Deaf (Isiolo), and Ikuu Special School (Tharaka Nithi)—participated in the study. These schools provided rich contextual insights into how values are expressed and reinforced among learners with hearing and intellectual disabilities. One of the most striking findings was the critical role of non-teaching staff, including dormitory matrons, caregivers, and patrons, in modelling and nurturing values such as empathy, respect, and responsibility. Learners consistently referenced support staff as central figures in shaping daily behaviour, particularly in unstructured settings or when teachers were not present. This underscores the importance of adopting a Whole School Approach (WSA) that recognizes every adult in the school environment as a values educator. While formal learner-leadership structures and co-curricular activities were present across all schools, the hidden curriculum, transmitted through daily interactions, emerged as the most influential source of values learning. However, gaps remain. Although values are embedded in curriculum frameworks, the intentional practice of values within the classroom and school culture remains limited. Visual cues promoting values were notably absent, and many educators reported that values education tends to be implicit rather than purposefully designed. To address this, a two-day training for 24 educators, heads of institutions, and curriculum support officers was held in Tharaka Nithi County, introducing participants to the WSA as a systemic strategy to embed values across all facets of school life. For many, this was their first exposure to the framework, and it prompted reflection on missed opportunities to model values consistently and meaningfully. A teacher from Tumu Tumu School reflected, “I’ve come to realize how our everyday interactions among staff become models for learners, we are always teaching, even outside the classroom.” A learner at Isiolo School for the Deaf echoed this sentiment: “Support staff shape how we behave every day, especially when teachers are not around.” Learners at Kuja Special School for the Deaf (Migori) draw maps representing population densities during a Social Studies lesson. These insights reinforce the need for a deliberate, inclusive, and system-wide approach to values education in SNE contexts, one that honours the diverse ways in which learners understand and internalize values, and that empowers all members of the school community to participate in the moral development of every child. In Western Kenya, ALiVE and KICD teams visited 4 special needs education institutions across four counties namely: Kuja Special School for the Deaf (Migori), Chekombero Primary and Junior Special School for the Hearing Impaired (Vihiga), St. Oda Primary and Junior Special School (Siaya) and Nalondo CBM Special School for the Physically Handicapped (Bungoma). These visits included classroom observations, focused group discussions with learners, and interviews with teachers and school leaders, to assess the integration of values within the SNE learning environments. While many learners demonstrated awareness of core values such as kindness, respect, and honesty, their ability to articulate or apply these independently remained limited. This was particularly evident among learners with hearing impairments, who often showed hesitation to participate in class discussions, highlighting the need for more inclusive and adaptive pedagogical strategies. Teachers emphasized the importance of patience, empathy, and inclusive communication when delivering values education to learners with disabilities. Practices such as positive reinforcement, role-playing, and experiential learning activities emerged as highly effective in helping learners internalize values. These findings underscore the need for capacity-building approaches that are grounded in both inclusive pedagogy and values integration. In the Coastal region, additional insights were gathered from Christ the King Maktau Special School in Taita Taveta County, where structural barriers—such as poor infrastructure and environmental hazards—further complicate the delivery of quality education. One teacher shared how classes are routinely interrupted by the threat of wild animals crossing the school grounds, putting mobility-impaired learners at risk and forcing staff to prioritize safety over learning. Despite these challenges, staff remain committed to embedding values into daily teaching, even under resource-constrained conditions. The baseline survey and the consequent monitoring established some disparities in communicating with SNE learners. Most of the VbE-focused materials shared to schools had the values written and explained using words. However, it was established that some SNE learners like those with mental and hearing impairments, would benefit more from visual messages like drawings. Similarly, those with visual impairment would also benefit more with braille-typed materials. Customized materials would not only enrich the learners interaction with values, but also reduce the burden of coding the values and their indicators from the shoulders of teachers and caregivers. At the conclusion of the visits, each school developed tailored action plans focused on four key areas: teacher training, mentorship, parental engagement, and community involvement. Participants emphasized the need for ongoing professional development, including peer learning opportunities and the consistent presence of sign language interpreters to ensure inclusive participation in future engagements. This phase of the VbE pilot illustrates a central truth in values education: success depends not only on structured lessons or curriculum design, but on creating inclusive, value-rich environments where every adult in the school community serves as a living model of the values we aim to cultivate in learners. In SNE contexts especially, intentional, inclusive, and context-responsive strategies are essential to ensuring that no learner is left behind in the journey toward holistic development. @walteronyango1, @karani15701, @polo_raynor