If you cannot get online, you can’t see this Mars Rover model at a discount, at the Discovery Science Center
Santa Ana’s Discovery Science Center is offering a discount summer pass, in the wake of a recent drop in attendance – but get this, they are only offering this online! In so doing they are shutting out hundreds of thousands of Santa Ana residents who do not have access to the Internet. Well, that figures.
“Starting July 1, families who show proof of residence in Southern California can purchase a summer membership for $40. This one-time fee gives families unlimited visits through mid-September. The center, which experienced a 20 percent dip in attendance last month (read story), will only sell the tickets online, starting sometime next week. Click here for updates,” according to the O.C. Register.
This policy of only selling the discount summer passes online is a major barrier to entry for Santa Ana’s working class Latino families.
“While Latinos comprise 14 percent of the U.S. adult population, just over half (56 percent) go online. Compared to 71 percent of non-Latino whites and 60 percent of non-Latino blacks there is a big drop off when it comes to the Spanish speaking segment of U.S. society,” according to an online source.
It is so obvious that the folks at the Discovery Science Center don’t want our local Latino families to visit their center. They need to make these passes available to anyone that visits their center, period. Making them available online only is simply ridiculous – and it is a slight to all of us here in Santa Ana. Our city gave the Discovery Science Center the land they sit on, via redevelopment. We deserve better.
Art,
Do you happen to know if they sell the passes at the actual Center? And if so, isn’t the only other way to publicize the passes through the expense of other forms of advertising outside of their website?
#1,
According to the Register, the summer pass is only available online.
There are many Latino and community organizations that could put the word out, if they were asked to.
This deal is still not a great offer for working families with more than one child.
How abaout a family summer pass for $45, including free parking – for Santa Ana residents only?
So proof of SoCal residence is required. How do you show proof of residence on-line? This was either a joke or really bad planning.
You show proof of residence with your credit card billing address. The transaction will be declined if the address doesn’t match.
Art, how is it “so obvious that the folks at the Discovery Science Center don’t want our local Latino families to visit their center.”?
#4,
We gave them their land and get ONE free day a month. A day of their choosing mind you.
And now they offer a discounted summer pass but you have to buy it online – even though studies show that many Latinos have no access to the Internet.
The Discovery Science Center marketing department is either racist or incredibly stupid. In either case they deserve plummeting attendance.
Aren’t there any BIG issues to discuss? Prefer to look at mountains, not molehills.
#6,
It has been a slow week, but I do think this is an important issue. We gave the DSC their land. And they continue to disregard the people of Santa Ana. What kind of marketing plan is that?
Isn’t free internet available to everyone at the library? I’m not clear how you interpret this new program as being biased against Latinos.
#8,
Do you mean our ONE library, that is closed on Sundays?
Many of the working poor do not have ready access to that library – and you assume they know how to use computers.
Why not sell these passes at the counter?
Selling them online only is a way to ensure that certain people will not buy them.
This city needs to offer free wifi and free apple laptops to all kids K-12!!!!
Damage Control– No libraries, 1 park for every 2000 kids or so AND
to make up for those lovely water rate increases. My they are pretty frequent I feel like giving myself my own increase every 30 days or so!!!
kinda sucks, i was at the one library and the old childrens videos and the music cd’s 3 and 4 decades old, are going to cost money to check out. What is the world coming to.
Santa Ana—little Cuba
cook said: “… i was at the one library and the old childrens videos and the music cd’s 3 and 4 decades old,…”
Perhaps you were in the children’s history section cook.
Ha ha, It just seems to me that the library isn’t going to make much money renting those old titles of DVD and CD’s. I thought I would check the minutes of the library board and see what was discussed, but that board and many others had their meeting cancelled until further notice.
Ah, the access and availability issue. The summer pass is available to all however, access is limited since not everyone has a computer. Since the residents of Santa Ana graciously donated the land, it would be a good idea to make the “access” of the summer pass available online and at the front counter of the center.
Access is one way of deterring participation.
Go to the local library and use the computer there… There’s no excuse these days really…