Imagine this: a young child, flipping through the pages of a STEAM book, and they encounter a main character who looks like them or identifies similarly. It's like finding a hidden treasure of possibility for their young mind. These characters inspire dreams, spark curiosity, and shatter barriers, showing that anyone, regardless of gender, race, or identity, can make their mark in the world of science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics.
Did you know that only about 28% of the characters in children's books are from underrepresented racial or ethnic groups? A warp drive of change is needed to balance those scales. "Peyton Explores" hopes to pilot that journey by weaving stories where characters from all walks of life bridge their dreams with possibility.
But it's not just about representation β it's about breaking down the barriers of stereotypes and biases. In the ever-expanding universe of media, it's vital to show that girls can be inventors, people of color individuals can be computer whizzes,