2026 Day Program Highlights

During spring and summer of 2026, High Country Supported Living (HCSL) hosted 17 Day Programs focusing on visual art, music, movement, dance, and cooking at its rural property in Jacona, New Mexico and two programs at the Santa Fe Public School’s KIVA (Keeping Independent Visions Alive) classroom. HCSL's art programs draw inspiration from the natural setting in Jacona, while its cooking programs feature fresh vegetables, herbs, and fruit from its orchard and gardens. All of HCSL's Day Programs are offered free of charge to individuals with developmental disabilities and their caregivers who live in the nearby communities of Northern New Mexico.

Cooking Programs

HCSL's 2026 cooking programs spotlighted international dishes including “pupusas” – griddle cakes from El Salvador stuffed with beans and cheese and served with “curtido” – a tangy relish and Moroccan tagine, a north African stew made with root vegetables.  Other menus featured grain bowls with a variety of spring vegetables, fall harvest soup, HCSL’s popular “Pesto Pasta Party”, and New Mexico cuisine including tacos and tamales.

 Visual Art Programs

In May 206, HCSL’s visual arts programs focused on fiber arts. The participants covered bars of soap and rocks of different shapes and sizes to create colorful felted patterns.  In June, the participants learned about paper marbling – the ancient art of making swirling designs on paper and cloth. In July, the participants worked with clay to create their favorite animals. In August, they made pop-up cards and masks.  In September, they strung marigold flowers and beads to make decorative chains and explored the traditional Korean art form of Joomchi that blends layers of mulberry or rice paper into a single, strong, textured, fabric-like sheet, which can then be used for fiber art, cards, flags and more.

Movement and Yoga Programs

HCSL’s movement programs featured a relaxing, beginner’s yoga class and a dance class in which the participants learned they can express their emotions without words through their bodies and movement.

Continued Partnership with KIVA Program

For the sixth year in a row, HCSL presented arts and cooking programs at the Santa Fe Public School’s (KIVA) classroom – the SFPS’s program for students with special needs and learning differences.  In May, HCSL worked with the students to create colorful bouquets of flowers to celebrate spring and the students who were graduating.  In October, HCSL brought fresh tomatoes, garlic and onions to make pico de gallo for a chips and salsa party.

 Day Program Attendance and Impact

HCSL’s 2026 programs were attended by 128 unique participants including 67 adults with an intellectual disability and 61 caregivers and volunteers – an increase of 7.5% from the number of individuals who attended in 2025. In addition, 73% of the participants attended more than one program this year, an increase of approximately 3% from 2025 – demonstrating how much they enjoyed what HCSL offered in 2026.

Clients from All Individuals First in Los Alamos, as well as Santa Fe-based agencies Building Blocks Pediatric Therapies, Rise Speech and Language Therapy and Visions Case Management attended HCSL’s 2026 programs.