Community disruptions are changes in the world that cause us to rethink our community systems and processes. During the 2020 pandemic for example, it became clear that the systems and behaviors that worked before would need to be reconsidered. Because of the complexity of interactions within a community, it is often difficult to anticipate the many ways a disruption may impact community members or the ways we live our lives.

The process called Imagine the Implications! is a method of brainstorming that allows a group to map out the repercussions of an event or situation. Based on the assumption that a community disruption serves as a stimulus for creating a meaningful response, the process outlined in this document seeks to identify the far-reaching implications of a disruption in the community.  Involving community members in this exercise will help them to anticipate and respond to needed change. This publication provides step-by-step guidance to Extension Agents or community leaders on how to facilitate a group mapping exercise to identify implications of a community disruption and consider actions for responding to those disruptions.

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