International Children Assistance Network (Ican)

ICAN is a (501)(c)(3) non-profit organization founded by a group of young Vietnamese American professionals in April 2000.

ICAN provides services to at-risk children, youth, and families in the United States and in Vietnam. 

U.S. PROJECTS: 

• Happy 5 Programs: community-based public education program that focuses on the importance of child development in the first 5 years. Our programs educate and empower Vietnamese American parents, grandparents, and caregivers. Our bilingual and culturally sensitive program is designed to provide parents with more positive parenting techniques and knowledge on child/brain development in the first 5 years of a child's life.

The Happy 5 program consists of these main components:

• Parenting Workshop
• Annual Community Forum
• Radio Show on 1500AM
• Parenting Guide
• Arts Enrichment classes 

• Healthy Lifestyles: a public education program designed to help members of the community (of all age groups) to lead a healthier lifestyle, including nutrition, physical activities, tobacco cessation etc. Information is delivered through radio talk shows, newspaper articles and workshops.

• Community Outreach Events: each year ICAN organizes 3 community events that help bring families together to share in Vietnamese cultural celebrations: Tet Trung Thu - Children's Moon Festival, VESAK Celebration, and Tet Festival celebration.

VIETNAM PROJECTS:

• iCAN Dream - provides financial aid to orphans and poor children in Vietnam to keep them in school (K-12, College levels). 

• Tue Tinh Duong - a free clinic for families in Hue and outlying areas.

• ICAN Make A Difference - provides bicycles to students in the rural areas to help them get to school