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A former preschool and summer camp in Coram has found new life as a sprawling learning center offering everything from cooking and photography to artificial intelligence and 3D printing.
Smart Start Centers has opened its fourth location at 10 Glenmere Lane, transforming the property into a campus with two buildings, playgrounds, a soccer field and an Olympic-size swimming pool.
The organization offers life-skills training, creative classes and recreational programs, primarily serving people with disabilities and those who benefit from individualized support. Its programs are open to people of all ages and abilities.
A different kind of campus
Smart Start took over the Coram property in July and began renovating the buildings for its programs.
Unlike its other locations in Deer Park, Mineola and Flushing, Queens, which operate in commercial buildings, the Coram campus offers extensive outdoor space for recreation and hands-on learning.
Plans include opening the swimming pool for programming, adding a greenhouse and developing gardening activities.
Shikha Sehgal, the organization’s chief operating officer, said the expansion comes amid growing demand from Suffolk County families.
“We want our students to be independent,” Sehgal said.
From cooking to AI
Smart Start’s classes cover a wide range of interests, including cooking, baking, money management, traffic safety, photography, digital art and graphic design.
The Coram location plans to expand those offerings with podcasting, artificial intelligence and 3D printing.
Sehgal said the goal is to introduce participants to skills that could lead to employment, including opportunities beyond traditional vocational training.
The organization also offers internships that provide work experience and stipends. Some participants have turned their interests into small businesses, including making and selling handmade jewelry.
“We want these students to do something,” Sehgal said. “There should be no discrimination in that.”
Classes are offered individually or in small groups, with flexible scheduling to accommodate school, work and transportation needs. Scholarships are also available for families who need financial assistance.
More than a classroom
The Coram campus will also offer recreational and social activities, including cardio drumming, gardening, basketball, interactive gaming and book clubs.
Smart Start is exploring a student-run farmers market where participants could grow and sell products while learning about business and money management.
Sehgal said the organization aims to create an environment where participants feel comfortable trying new things without fear of judgment.
Finding opportunity at Smart Start
For Flor Centeno, a manager at the Coram location, Smart Start’s mission is personal.
After graduating from college, Centeno struggled to find employment despite applying for jobs and attending interviews.
She eventually spotted a Smart Start job listing online and reached out to ask whether the workplace was wheelchair accessible.
It was, and the organization hired her.
Today, Centeno helps manage daily operations, communicates with families and coordinates class schedules. She also works directly with participants, offering encouragement when they become frustrated or overwhelmed.
Sehgal said she has watched Centeno grow more confident in her role, including becoming comfortable appearing in videos and representing the organization publicly.
Her success has resonated with families, some of whom have asked whether their own children might one day achieve similar independence.
Centeno said having someone who offers patience and encouragement, rather than focusing on limitations, can make a meaningful difference.
If you go
Smart Start Centers is located at 10 Glenmere Lane in Coram.
For more information about programs and enrollment, visit smartstartcenters.com or call 1-888-840-0868.
“We are not just running classes,” Sehgal said. “We want to make a difference in this community.”
Photos by Julianne Mosher
Top: Flor Centeno with Aditya Sehgal, director of curriculum development and tutor at Smart Start Centers. (Credit: GLI/Julianne Mosher)
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