KELOWNA, BRITISH COLUMBIA, Canada - September 11, 1996 - The Bridges Initiatives Inc. (ASE:BIT) one of Canada's foremost providers of career and life skills information via the Internet, today announced that it was selected as one of three finalists for Nelson Heller's EdNET '96 Rookie of the Year Award.

The Rookie of the Year Award honors small and start-up companies that display the most promise of becoming a major future force in educational technology and telecommunications. The two co-finalists in the Rookie category were Addison Westley Interactive and Ligature Gateway Academy -- finalists and nominees in other categories this year include Microsoft, Claris Corporation, Pacific Bell-Education First and National Geographic Interactive. Bridges was the only Canadian-based company to receive a nomination.

"Nelson Heller's Rookie of the Year Award is one of the most sought after and highly regarded annual awards in the American education computing industry," said Mr. Doug Manning, CEO and Chair, Bridges. "Being selected as a finalist for this award -- just weeks before the upcoming launch of Career Explorer 97' -- sends a very strong, positive signal to the education and career development markets, firmly establishing Career Explorer Online as a leading Internet-based education resource."