El Rito Campus Overview

     Established in 1909 as the Spanish American Normal School, Northern New Mexico Community College’s El Rito campus is nestled in the Carson National forest in north central New Mexico. Located about a half-hour’s drive from Española and an hour’s drive from Santa Fe , the campus sits at an elevation of approximately 6,790 feet.
      The El Rito campus is home to several of Northern’s vocational programs which offer both certificate and associate degrees. These programs include Adobe Construction/Construction Trades, Electricity, and Automotive Technology. In addition, the college offers traditional arts programs such as Spanish Colonial Furniture Making and Fiber Arts/Rio Grande Weaving - taught by award winning artists Rik Gonzales, Daniel Tafoya, and Karen Martinez. Recently, Spanish Language Immersion courses have been developed at the El Rito campus. Alejandro Lopez, a well-known Spanish language educator and writer, teaches the courses.
      Other offerings on the campus include: High School Equivalency Program (HEP), Visual Communications classes, English and Math. The college has two new state-of-the-art computer labs, Internet and e-mail access is available, and classes can be televised between the two campuses via an Interactive Televised Video (ITV) studio.
      Student housing and cafeteria services are available on the El Rito campus. Double and single rooms are available. The rooms are furnished with twin beds, desks, dressers, chairs, lamps, and wastebaskets. Transportation is available between El Rito and the Espanola campus on a shuttle van for a minimal fee.
      Campus activities include intramural basketball, volleyball, weight training, tennis, billards, foosball, table tennis and horseshoes. Grant Gym is available for most of the indoor sports, a softball field and tennis courts provide outdoor recreation sites. Astronomy "Star Parties" at the school’s small observatory are held, usually, once a month on the first Friday after the new moon, weather permitting. Area outdoor activities include hiking, camping, fishing, and winter skiing within an hour’s drive from El Rito. In addition, the campus is close to such art centers as Santa Fe , Taos , and Abiquiu. 
          

        For more information about the El Rito campus, call 505-581-4100.