strengths perspective recognizes the assets, capacities, talents, skills, resiliency, hopes and self-determination that individuals and communities possess and embody. Through this perspective, settlement houses create activities and programs which support individuals and families, while communities are encouraged to develop interventions and participate in a group process. The Boulevard House applies this model by providing technical support to any self-organizing community group to help clarify their assets and assist in network building which addresses remaining opportunities. Feminist Theory Feminist theory critically examines "sexism, sexist exploitation and oppression," according to bell hooks. Feminist theory advocates engaging in dialogue around gender, race, class, ethnicity, sexuality, nationality, age and religion, bringing women's experience to the forefront of pedagogy and thought. One of the basic tenets in feminist activism is making the personal political. By creating a residential space through which practitioners can immerse in the community and engage for a sustained duration, settlement houses embody the overlay of personal, political and meaningful work spaces, contributing significantly to practitioners' own consciousness development. Additionally, programming at settlement houses provide space, support and programs aimed at feminist consciousness raising goals. More, by including residential space at Boulevard House and "opening the home" to the community for all activities, this approach is embodied. Women-Centered Model The women-centered model shares a root idea with Feminist theory in understanding that the personal is political. In case studies cited by Smock, the women-centered model focuses on programs which first strengthen women's self-sufficiency in their personal lives so that they can build skills and confidence which is then applied in the larger community. Settlement houses often model the women-centered model through the many women activists who are working through the center, and therefore provide excellent networking and mentoring opportunities for all women in the community. The Boulevard House offers periodic skills building workshops which would reflect this approach. Civic Model The civic model identifies activists within the community as those who are "natural" leaders, and who begin to participate in the community through their own initiative, often applying skills which they've acquired in the workforce or other activities. In some ways, this is an extension of a strengths perspective, since it leverages existing abilities and resources within the community for tasks and goals. It is often a utilitarian approach, focusing more on specific concerns and reform than sweeping change. It is often seen at the level of neighborhood associations which seek to