Pittsburgh, Pa. − August 4, 2020 − Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa, Jr will be the first elected official to participate in the civic engagement mobile application “Be The Change.” Senator Costa will be part of a several month pilot period on the new app.
“Even before COVID-19, more and more of our communication had become virtual, and now – the majority of our contact is done that way,” said Senator Costa. “Be The Change is an exciting tool for my constituents to let my office and I know what’s happening in their neighborhoods. I can’t wait to work through this pilot period and help folks with their concerns on a new platform.”
The app, which will be available for a free download in the Apple Store on August 6, allows users to report issues in their community and interact directly with Senator Costa’s office to resolve the problem.
Users can share their concerns by adding a title, description, and photo to their post. Neighbors are able to see the issues shared in their community as well as the responses provided by the elected officials office. Using real-time community generated input, the goal of the app is to facilitate safe and meaningful civic action through issue advocacy and direct outreach to elected officials.
“People are moving away from a top-down approach to civic engagement towards a more digital community-driven form of democratic participation,” said Bhavini Patel, co-founder of BeamData. “I think COVID-19 has accelerated and made these changes necessary at the local and state level. Senator Costa has always been an advocate for supporting tech innovation. I’m thrilled we’re kicking off the launch of Be the Change with him in the 43rd District.”
Learn more about the app and Senator Costa’s involvement at https://beam-data.com/jay-costa/