Lydia Garcia Crain is a Lecturer in the Teaching, Learning, and Sociocultural Studies Department at the University of Arizona. She earned a bachelor’s degree and teaching certification from Arizona State University in 1994. In 2003, she earned a master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Northern Arizona University. She has worked in K-8 public education in Arizona as an elementary and middle school physical education teacher and as a K-8 school principal.
Lydia has worked with local, regional, and national physical education associations to design, implement, and promote developmentally appropriate and effective physical education instruction. She was recognized as a Middle School Physical Education Teacher of the Year in 2010 for Arizona and the Southwest District of SHAPE America.
Lydia first joined the University of Arizona in 2003 on a national project studying physical activity, cardiorespiratory health, and obesity in adolescent females sponsored by the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). From 2003-2008, she taught physical education courses in the Physical Education teacher preparation program at the University of Arizona. These courses included collaborative field experiences for students in local elementary and middle schools. Lydia is currently teaching elementary physical activity and wellness courses for students in the Elementary Education program.
