MUELLER, TX — Thinkery, Mueller’s nonprofit children’s museum, has appointed Michael Shanklin as its new chief executive officer to lead the organization’s next phase of play-based STEAM learning and regional partnerships across Central Texas.
Thinkery announced the appointment April 9 after what it described as a national search, naming Shanklin to oversee the museum’s flagship Meredith Learning Lab in the Mueller neighborhood. The 40,000-square-foot facility serves children from birth through age 11 through hands-on exhibits designed for both guided and self-directed exploration, including indoor and outdoor learning environments such as maker labs, light-focused spaces and play areas. Thinkery also operates a STEAM Learning Institute that works with educators, researchers and community organizations, extending the museum’s footprint beyond its museum floor into classrooms and community programs across Central Texas.
Shanklin brings more than two decades of children’s museum leadership experience, including recent work in California and prior roles that included museum revitalization projects in Tyler, Texas, and in Utah and Oklahoma. Thinkery said Shanklin is returning to Texas after leading kidSTREAM Children’s Museum in Camarillo, California, and that his selection was aimed at sustaining Thinkery’s hands-on approach while expanding its broader reach. In public remarks on Thinkery’s leadership page, “Learning should be hands-on, curiosity-driven, and occasionally a little messy.” said Michell Michael Shanklin, CEO of Thinkery.
The leadership change affects families and schools that rely on Thinkery as a neighborhood anchor in Mueller and as a regional learning resource, where the museum says it has served more than one million children and families since opening in Mueller. Thinkery’s programming includes seasonal offerings such as summer camps for rising kindergarten through third grade students, with themed weeks emphasizing STEAM, collaboration, empathy and community design. The organization also positions access as a core part of its nonprofit mission, citing free general admission structures tied to membership programs and its Open Door initiative, which provides tuition scholarships and preschool waivers intended to widen participation regardless of ability to pay.
Museum leaders and local partners pointed to Thinkery’s long presence in Austin and its role in connecting family learning with schools and community institutions. “STEAM is a mindset. It is about creativity, problem solving, and making connections to real life.” said Alexa Clavijo, senior play and learning manager at Thinkery. Thinkery’s regional partnership work has included expansion into Del Valle ISD, where a school-community museum opened at the Central Child Development Center with 30 exhibits and hours for both students and the broader community; “How wonderful is it that we’re able to provide not only a center for students and staff to come and take care of their children, but they get this innovative and play-based learning. They get this research-based learning experience in a state-of-the-art facility as well. This is servicing not only our children and staff but our community at large,” said Shaira Ramzanali, Del Valle ISD Board of Trustees president.
Thinkery’s roots trace back more than four decades to the Austin Children’s Museum, founded in 1983, which initially relied on mobile exhibits before operating in permanent downtown locations and then moving to Mueller in 2013. That history has made the museum a familiar part of neighborhood life for families who use it as an everyday resource as well as a destination for visiting relatives. “I’m so glad that [Thinkery] is here and it’s continuing to be a great resource for people here and people that come visit. There’s just a sense of good energy and respect and curiosity that permeates the whole place. You can just feel it in every little corner.” said Deborah Edward, Austin Children’s Museum co-founder.
Thinkery’s work with schools has included professional development for educators, particularly pre-K teachers, and collaboration with school districts to bring STEAM practices into curricula. “We had professional development with the Thinkery for our pre-K teachers… As we build these… we could bring the Thinkery to our community?… Many of the residents here will see a lot of the information that they shared with us about their wants and needs and outdoor and indoor learning spaces for their children.” said Tielle [last name], Del Valle ISD official and Cortez, DVISD/B-partner. Local residents have also described the museum as part of growing up in Mueller; “I remember when I was younger, playing and learning all about different and fun science activities,” said Isadora Lang, a resident of Mueller.
Thinkery’s existing strategic priorities include expanding equitable access to its experiences, strengthening its role as a Central Texas family learning hub and deepening its work through the STEAM Learning Institute over the next three to five years. The museum’s operations are supported through a mix of philanthropic gifts, earned revenue, memberships and support from the City of Austin Cultural Arts Division, alongside scholarship and waiver programs that underwrite access initiatives.
No timeline was announced for changes to exhibits or programming under Shanklin’s leadership, though Thinkery said it will continue investing in play-based STEAM experiences and evolving museum offerings. The museum’s partnership model, including community-informed design used in Del Valle, is expected to remain a key tool as Thinkery balances neighborhood programming in Mueller with broader work across Central Texas.
