The not‑for‑profit Energy Club WA, formerly The Petroleum Club of WA, runs a Next Generation Energy Program in Western Australian schools. One lesson lets students use plastic straws to “drill for oil” through layers of bread, Nutella and sprinkles.

Woodside Energy, Exxon Mobil and several other major oil and gas companies appear on the Energy Club WA sponsor list. Their staff volunteer to deliver three lessons that focus on “energy literacy” and career pathways.

A report by climate‑advocacy group Comms Declare identified at least 260 fossil‑fuel‑sponsored education programmes across Australia. The investigation found close to $55 million in funding spread over just six of those programmes.

According to the Energy Club WA annual report, more than 1,800 students took part in the Next Generation Energy Program in 2025, showing the reach of these industry‑backed lessons.

Researchers such as Dr Eve Mayes at Deakin University say the programmes are designed to build a social licence for fossil‑fuel companies and may influence how students learn about climate change and the energy transition.

Advocates like Belinda Noble, founder of Comms Declare, argue that the scale of corporate funding creates an “unacceptable amount of marketing to children” in classrooms that should be trusted sources of information.