History
It all started in 2009 when...
special education teacher Bret Lieberman was teaching at Golden Valley High School and a group of Bret's students asked if they could produce a music event for the school to bring neurodiverse students and typical students together for a social event. The innovative thinking of these students gave birth to the Yes I Can (YIC) Unity Through Music & Education Program. The program paired students with a range of disabilities with general education peer mentors. The goal of the program was to build healthy peer relationships and develop social, communication and transitional skills, while fostering an appreciation of music, art and diversity. Since the program’s inception, YIC has touched the lives of close to 2,000 students.
Throughout the school year, the YIC program invited professional painters and illustrators to hold socially inclusive art workshops. The artists worked hand-in-hand with the students to mentor them and to help them create both individual and collaborative art pieces. The goal was to visually and artistically promote socially-conscious messages aligned with the YIC motto of Unity through Music and Education and to proudly celebrate Autism Acceptance in their school and community, leading up to the month of April, which is Autism Acceptance Month.
Through the art workshops, the YIC students were taught transitional and life-skills necessary for future success: effective communication, goal setting, self-determination and the benefits of collaboration. The students accomplished this by learning and developing social and communication skills while working as a team. The students collaborated and brainstormed images, themes such as anti-bullying messages, quotes of acceptance, unity, diversity, and autism awareness/acceptance to be displayed for their peers and community.
Students were challenged to sometimes work together, learning to work with different types of personalities and levels of support needs, to use their imaginations and creativity; sometimes they were challenged to work alone, prompting students to work independently and to foster their individual talents. It took dedication, clear communication, and teamwork to effectively complete the projects. The workshops targeted a significant number of students with and without disabilities, providing the ultimate goal of teaching students to be successful by using creativity to effectively work both collaboratively and independently.
Over the years, Bret Lieberman identified an absence of local social vocational and employment programs focusing on industry-specific training assisting people with disabilities in advancing into competitive integrated employment. Additionally, it was identified there was a deficit of programs designed to support students once they graduated from high school. Several YIC students reported they were successful with taking one or two classes in the post secondary education environment, but expressed it was extremely hard to find/maintain employment and continue to make social connections in school/work environments.
Based on these identified needs, Bret Lieberman joined forces with now Deputy Director, Kirsten Fitzpatrick to restructure YIC into a Regional Center funded non-profit service provider, changing the focus of the organization’s curriculum to a comprehensive industry-specific career skills training and employment program; helping individuals with disabilities to identify potential career paths, receive supported industry-specific training in fully inclusive educational settings to be able to pursue careers of interest, and have access to internship and employment opportunities within the entertainment industry. In 2019, YIC’s doors reopened with it’s mission expanded to include helping individuals with disabilities obtain real-world experience and skills within the entertainment industry and through fully inclusive, community-based educational settings that will aid them in securing meaningful careers earning livable wages, improving their quality of life and increasing their independence.
YIC is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization based in Santa Clarita, CA. YIC provides career skills training and employment services to individuals with disabilities to assist them in developing the skills they will need to secure a career within the entertainment industry earning a competitive wage.