Northern New Mexico College
Grants Awarded
The exercise circuit will address an urgent need in El Rito to encourage physical exercise among people of all ages. It will provide a meeting ground to bring together people in the community with access to free exercise equipment and a tailored walking trail. The 2020 US Census reports that 49% of the population in El Rito is age 65 or older, and that number has been steadily increasing. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the state with significant prevalence in the El Rito area ((New Mexico’s Indicator-Based Information System, 2019). Research by Marcos-Pardo, P.J., and colleagues (2023) highlights the effectiveness of outdoor fitness equipment for its potential to improve health parameters in healthy, community-dwelling middle-aged and older adults. NNMC will partner with the Rocky Mountain Youth Corps (RMYC) to implement the outdoor exercise circuit course. Based in New Mexico, RMYC provides opportunities for youth ages 16 to 25 to engage in outdoor service, conservation projects, and life skills training. Under the supervision of a a trained Crew Supervisor, the crew will install , six pieces of exercise equipment, including one rest bench, four station signs, and an 800 ft. path will be installed. GOALS AND OBJECTIVES Goal 1: Improve community health by increasing access to free fitness opportunities. ● Objective 1.1: Engage at least 370 residents in El Rito using the outdoor equipment course in the first year. (The El Rito population is 740). Outdoor surveillance cameras will be used to monitor trail usage.[BT1.1] ● Objective 1.2: Host outdoor workshops biannually in El Rito on how to use the equipment effectively in the first year.[BT2.1] Goal 2: Foster community connections through free, accessible shared spaces. ● Objective 2.1: Identify El Rito organizations (including Las Clinica Del Norte) and businesses and invite them to use the outdoor exercise circuit course. ● Objective 2.2: Inform people of the exercise circuit on the college's website. ● Objective 2.3: Install informational signage throughout the length of the course, including directions on the proper equipment usage at each station. ● Objective 2.4: Encourage both current students and alumni of NNMC to make use of the trail and equipment.
Northern New Mexico College (NNMC) is an inclusive, student-centered teaching and learning community, dedicated to excellence, empowering students, and transforming lives (mission statement). The college’s main campus is in Española with its original campus in El Rito, founded in 1909, still in operation, providing Technical Trades certificates, degrees, and community classes. The student enrollment in the Fall 2025 semester was 1,558 with 58.47% female and 41.34% male. Ethnicity (Source: Enrollment report Fall 2025) 10% Native American, 74% Hispanic ,11% White, 2% Black, 1% Asian, and 2% Other. Forty percent of students were full-time (12 or more credit hours), and 60% were part-time. NNMC’s Strategic Pillars are: Transformational Student Experience: We journey together with our students through a positive proactive, personalized experience and become partners in their dreams. Academic Excellence: We teach with spirit and heart to provide a culturally responsive, 21st-century learning environment that sparks critical thinking and maximizes intellectual achievement. Organizational Excellence: We act with shared purpose and responsibility – focused on innovation and continuous improvement – committed to student success and empathetic, engaged leadership and expertise. Strategic Partnerships: We build partnerships that enhance student and institutional success and community well-being. As a Hispanic- and Indigenous-serving institution, sustained by place, culture, and innovation — Northern New Mexico College is a beacon of higher education for all students, igniting minds to create vibrant futures (vison statement).