YOUNGSTOWN – Calogero’ Mays may be only 10, but when asked what he wants to be — among his laundry list of talents and ambitions — when he’s older, he didn’t hesitate to reply.

“A zoologist. I’m going to feed lots of animals,” Calogero’, of Youngstown, who’s also known as “Coco,” said.

That doesn’t mean, however, that his smorgasbord of possibilities stops with nature. Calogero’, who’s enrolled in Students Motivated by the Arts community arts school, also has entertained the possibility of one day becoming a police officer, a model, a construction worker, a scientist or a dancer, he added.

Sharpening a few dance moves, with accompanying stretch exercises, was the possibility he spent time further procuring during SMARTS Community Arts School’s holiday open house Friday afternoon in the Ohio One Building, downtown.

“This is a way for us to open our home for people to see what SMARTS is about,” Abbie Twyford Wilson, assistant director, said.

To that end, the five-hour family-friendly and free gathering provided an opportunity for students and staff to spotlight their artistic and other talents, along with hands-on artistic activities, Twyford Wilson added.

“I have lots of dreams,” Calogero’ said after having listed his diverse set of interests that included dancing, swimming, playing chess as well as the ukulele and piano, running and learning about an animal called a pangolin.

Pangolins are mammals that resemble anteaters and have hard, overlapped scales. They are nocturnal, feed largely on ants and termites with their sticky tongues and curl into a ball when threatened.

“I’m very inspired to be with kids at such a young age who have so many aspirations and dreams, and they challenge themselves to learn more than one thing,” Sophia Menelle, a SMARTS dance teacher, said as she showed Calogero’ a few additional moves on a small stage.

“I learn something new from these kids every day, I’m telling you,” she said.

This year, Menelle is working with about 25 SMARTS students that include several 2- to 4-year-olds who are in her creative movement class, where they learn beginning movements to music, she said.

Menelle, who attended Point Park University, a Pittsburgh-based dance school, and also teaches at Jamie’s Dance Force in Boardman, added that SMARTS has contracted with several area public schools regarding opportunities to learn dance and theater.

The pool of talents and interests is long also for brothers Troy Jones, 8, and Trenton Jones, 12, both of whom are in the SMARTS program. Their list includes sewing, online animation, reading, science, performing and, of course, art, their father, Eric Jones of Youngstown, said.

“I’m super, super proud of them,” he added.

During Friday’s open house, Troy dabbled in a bit of painting while his older brother fine-tuned his sewing abilities — for which he’s self-taught. Perhaps more importantly, both of his sons have “a heart of gold,” Eric Jones continued.

Being in the SMARTS program also has offered the brothers many chances to expand their talents and potential, their father said with pride.

The idea of expansion also is pleasing to Liberty Long, SMARTS’ program manager.

“I am growing a lot and learning more about nonprofit work,” Long said, adding that the career change also has allowed her to network with SMARTS’ partners, sponsors, donors and others.

In addition, being part of SMARTS is advantageous for Long because it places her in a position to lead and offer support to other program teachers — opportunities that often aren’t found in traditional educational settings, she explained.

“It’s a unique opportunity to equip teachers with the best options for our students,” said Long, who joined SMARTS in August after having taught art and social studies at Columbiana Middle School.

SMARTS lists as its core mission partnering with public and private schools and organizations, as well as artists, in cooperative projects to enrich the Mahoning Valley, promote student achievement, inspire self-discovery and impact cultural and academic literacy.

To that end, the community arts school offers a wide array of classes in dance, music, visual arts, creative writing and theater, with a focus on reaching the region’s underserved populations.

It also collaborates with numerous after-school partners such as the Akiva Academy, the Autism Society of the Mahoning Valley, Liberty Local Schools, the Ashtabula Arts Center, Community Day Camp of North Lima, the Warren-Trumbull County Public Library and the Organizacion Civica y Cultural Hispana Americana organization.

Twyford Wilson said that the SMARTS program also is seeking monetary donations for its free offerings. To contribute, go to www.smartsartschool.org/donate.