Yes I Can And You Can Too

Located in the heart of Valencia is Yes I Can, an organization dedicated to generating opportunities and uplifting individuals with disabilities all across our valley and beyond. Known in full as Yes I Can Unity Through Music and Education, they’re a local nonprofit funded by the North Los Angeles County Regional Center, and their aim is to provide customized training and employment services to adult creatives with disabilities who are eligible.
All services through YIC are free of cost, and those who have worked with YIC have gone on to pursue careers in music production, screenwriting, animation, video game design, TV and film production, and so much more.
YIC has developed various partnerships with groups and organizations here in Santa Clarita, including College of the Canyons. They’re always looking for entertainment employer partnerships in the valley who are looking to offer meaningful internship opportunities to their group of talented students.
YIC encompasses a wide variety of training and skills sessions alongside their creative career guidance. Crucial real world skills like resilience, empathy, negotiation, time management, customer service and social diversity awareness are all part of YIC’s curriculum. The goal is to encourage their members to enter the workforce through internships and other career opportunities with confidence and the ability to be their best selves.
All career skills courses are taught by master level instructors with an emphasis on a fully inclusive setting, and all students are awarded certification and badges upon completion of each class.
So far, YIC has formed countless important relationships with groups here in southern California, like Disney, Tink Tank Animate, SOS Entertainment, L.A. North Studios, 1500 Sound Academy, Bella Cucina, and our own Santa Clarita International Film Festival.
“We’re continuing to grow each year, and the sky’s the limit for how large our organization will be in the next few years,” says Bret Lieberman, the Executive Director of YIC. “We’re doing innovative things, we’re working hard and we have the goal of reducing the high underemployment and unemployment rate for creatives with disabilities.”
In addition to their search for organizations and entertainment groups to collaborate with, YIC is also always looking for volunteers who can donate their time and effort into furthering YIC’s mission. They’re currently looking for van donations to help transport students to various events such as job shadowing opportunities at studios and filming sets, as well as guest speakers to help inspire students and pave the way for more of them to pursue successful careers based on their passions.
This year, YIC will be ushering in their fourth official cohort, but it’s just the beginning of their mission. Bret and the entire YIC team pride themselves on the work they do, and the help they receive from the community will work with them hand in hand to make a difference in the lives of their students and the SCV community as a whole.
You can learn more about YIC at http://yicunity.org as well as opportunities to get involved. They’re also on Instagram at @yic_unity and on Facebook and LinkedIn.

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