On July the 20th, 2018, after nearly six months of negotiations, the Wroclaw University of Health and Sport Sciences signed a License Agreement with PALOS SPORTS, Inc., located at 11711 S. Austin Ave. Alsip, Illinois 60803 (USA), for the production and distribution of products currently known as EDUball – formerly edubal, and in the future as BRAINball, in the United States, Canada, and the European Union. Earlier, on May the 30th, 2018, an agreement was signed between the Wroclaw University of Health and Sport Sciences and the co-creators of the educational ball set: Assoc. prof. Andrzej Rokita, Tadeusz Rzepa, PhD and Marek Nowicki, transferring the proprietary copyrights to the University.
The sale of licenses is extremely important for the environment of our University. Never before in its history have such activities on an international scale taken place. This success is so peculiar, since it concerns a very difficult and demanding American market.
The educational balls Eduball – formerly known as “edubal” – were created 16 years ago at the Wroclaw University of Health and Sport Sciences. They were co-developed by Assoc. prof. Andrzej Rokita, Tadeusz Rzepa,PhD and Marek Nowicki (entrepreneur), with further contributions from Ireneusz Cichy, PhD, Sara Wawrzyniak, PhD the late Agnieszka Wójcik, MA Agnieszka Krysmann, PhD, Magdalena Kaczmarczyk, PhD and Marcin Korbecki, MA. Over these 16 years, the educational effects of their use in grades I-III of primary schools and kindergartens have been evaluated. Numerous pedagogical experiments were conducted in schools and kindergartens, resulting in over 50 publications, 6 doctoral dissertations, 3 books, and three educational booklets (including two in English) featuring a set of games and activities using EDUball/BRAINball educational balls. From 2004 to 2007, a three-year research project, the so-called KBN grant (No. 2 PO5 D 058 26), titled “Integrated Education Using Educational Balls ‘EDUBAL’,” was carried out. The set of “edubal” educational balls was included in the list of teaching aids recommended for school use and designated for general and integrated education at the primary school level (Order No. 1566/2003 – based on the regulation of the Ministry of National Education and Sport – Journal of Laws of 2002, No. 69, item 635). The educational balls also received a positive recommendation from the Parliamentary Committee on Physical Culture and Sports (meeting on November the 25th, 2003, bulletin No. 2552/IV).
Palos Sports Inc., with which the contract was signed, is one of the largest companies in the USA dealing in the distribution of sports and educational equipment.
Photos by Wroclaw University of Health and Sport Sciences
