Since 2004, the English Access Microscholarship Program, a U.S. public diplomacy initiative, has impacted at least 150,000 nonelite youths. U.S. Department of State employees created the program in response to suicide bombings committed by Moroccan youths at international sites in Casablanca. The program later expanded throughout the Middle East and then across the world, eventually operating in more than 85 countries for students aged 13-20. In this paper, I examine images promoted by the program associated with the mission for students to develop an "appreciation for U.S. culture and democratic values through cultural enhancement activities" using critical concepts such as "educative-psychic violence" and Ngugi wa Thiong'o's description of education as a "cultural bomb." Troubling content promoted by the program features students depicting themselves as lacking dignity and worth paired with portrayals of gaining dignity and worth through their participation in the program. Additionally, the program's "cultural enhancement activities" intended to promote "appreciation for U.S. culture and democratic values" often occur in communities deeply impacted by the U.S.-led War on Terror and amid dramatic economic and military power differentials. Finally, my analysis encourages academic engagement with policy makers on the use of education within public diplomacy initiatives.