Time Line of Significant Events:
1973
St. Mark's begins operation by serving five children in a classroom in St. Mark's Lutheran Church; by the end of the year, attendance more than doubles.
1974
Services for individuals more than 18 years old begin on the campus of Myers Street School.
1976
St. Mark's Center incorporates and forms its first Board of Directors.
1980
St. Mark's Center, located at 601 North Graham Street in Charlotte, opens and enables our programs for adults and children to operate from a single location.
1982
Five men become residents in our first group home on Windsor Drive in Charlotte.
1983
Our Developmental Day Program expands to serve children three to four years old.
1985
The Charlotte Circle Project, a collaboration between St. Mark's and the Special Education Department at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, uses the innovative Circle Curriculum to provide services to infants and toddlers with developmental delays.
1987
A group of our pre-school children experience inclusion by receiving services in traditional day care centers.
1988
Our In School program begins, and our first enclave of individuals completes vocational training and is employed by ESM Corporation.
1992
The name of our organization changes from St. Mark's Center to St. Mark's, Inc.
1993
St. Mark's, Inc., begins a pre-school inclusion program known as the Circle School. The program enables children with developmental delays and children with typical development to learn side by side.
1995
A $2.5 million capital campaign begins. Employment services begin in Iredell County at Village Place.
1998
St. Mark's, Inc., expands into Guilford County, and St. Mark's Foundation is created to encourage community support of our programs and services.
1999
St. Mark's, Inc., offers services in Surry County and begins operating two rest areas in North Carolina.
2000
The name of our organization changes from St. Mark's, Inc., to LifeSpan. LifeSpan continues to expand services and develop programs.
2002
LifeSpan begins operation of the Durham Enrichment program and expands services into Iredell County at the Troutman Enrichment and Circle School Statesville programs.
2003
LifeSpan Foundation merges into LifeSpan and the Department of Community Affairs & Development becomes the fundraising and marketing division of the organization.
LifeSpan begins operating Iredell Vocational workshop.
LifeSpan celebrates 30 years of mission driven service.
2004
LifeSpan concentrates on quality programs and retaining and recruiting high quality staff.
2005
Five LifeSpan employment programs receive the coveted CARF accreditation for three years.
LifeSpan takes over services at Cabarrus Workshop.
LifeSpan takes over services at Alamance Developmental Center for Children.
2006
LifeSpan began its first business enterprise: Just Plain Country.
LifeSpan began providing pre-K services at a second school in Mt. Airy.
2007
LifeSpan begins LifeSpan Education.
2008
LifeSpan proudly turns the in-school programs for children with significant developmental disabilities over to Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools.
2009 Mecklenburg LME and Guilford LME received state approval for the LifeSpan CAET service model for employment programs.
Advanced art program in Charlotte, located in the NoDa Arts District, becomes a community program no longer under the LifeSpan umbrellas of programs.
2010 LifeSpan Arts & Gardens launched in Troutman, Dobson, Greensboro, High Point, Charlotte, Waynesville, Monroe and Albemarle.
