Northern New Mexico College
Grants Awarded
The desired program plans to install an outdoor exercise circuit in El Rito to improve community health by providing free fitness opportunities and fostering connections through shared spaces. Given that 49% of El Rito's population is aged 65 or older and heart disease is a significant cause of death, the circuit's amenities will encourage physical activity among users of all ages. With initiatives like biannual outdoor workshops, promotion of equipment use via the college's website, and engagement of local organizations, the program's efforts, in collaboration with the Rocky Mountain Youth Corps, aim to attract at least half of El Rito's residents in the first year.
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).