Research shows that children express the stereotype that “math is for boys, not for girls” as early as second grade, and girls are less likely than boys to pursue math in higher education or careers. We need to change that, and Jen Oxley is using her animated TV show to start changing the narrative. She created Peg+Cat, a show with a strong female lead centered around math, but targeted at both girls and boys.
Jennifer Oxley was born in Hollywood, California and caught the filmmaking bug early – she made her first film at the age of seven. Since then she has directed fifteen short films for Sesame Street, as well as the award-winning adaptation of Spike Lee and Tanya Lewis Lee’s children’s book, Please, Baby, Please. Her latest film, The Music Box, was acquired by The Museum of Modern Art for their permanent children’s film collection.