Brittany Kretz is a history professor whose teaching and scholarship focus on helping
students understand the past as a lived experience that continues to shape the present.
With academic training in history, education, and teacher leadership, she brings an
interdisciplinary approach to the classroom that blends historical content with insights
from pedagogy and cognitive science. Her courses emphasize critical thinking, primary
source analysis, and clear communication, encouraging students to move beyond memorization
to thoughtful interpretation of historical events and ideas. In addition to her work
in higher education, Dr. Kretz is deeply committed to public history and historical
literacy. She has written for broader audiences, including children, and values making
history accessible, engaging, and meaningful for learners of all ages. Whether teaching
future educators, mentoring graduate students, or creating resources for families
and communities, she approaches history as a tool for understanding identity, citizenship,
and responsibility in a complex world.
Serving York University since 2024.
Growing Up in the DustHistory-Focused Children’s BooksA nonfiction children’s book that introduces young readers to daily life on the Great
Plains during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Through accessible
language and vivid historical detail, the book explores family life, farming challenges,
weather extremes, and community resilience, helping children understand how ordinary
people adapted to life on the prairie. Building Dreams on the PrairieThis illustrated children’s history book examines the essential buildings and structures
that shaped prairie communities, including sod houses, barns, windmills, and rail
depots. By connecting architecture to survival, innovation, and hope, the book shows
how settlers transformed the land and built lasting communities, offering students
a concrete way to understand settlement, technology, and regional history.
