MORE than 300 school girls attended university yesterday to learn about becoming a scientist or engineer.

The University of York welcomed television presenter and scientist Fran Scott, who hosted See Women, a live, interactive, curriculum-linked stage show, with the hope of inspiring girls to take up STEM (science,technology, engineering and maths) careers and to challenge gender stereotypes.

The children were treated to a 50-minute show, which combined a mixture of live experiments and Q&As aimed at teaching and inspiring them to choose a career in science and engineering.

Ms Scott said it was surprising how many girls did not think they had the capability to go into the subjects.

She said: “They don’t realise that choosing a STEM is as important and creative as choosing an art subject. It’s a real misconception but it was great to see that a lot of the girls found it fascinating.”