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Katelyn Fosta speeds by a Greenbelt police officer, as if daring him to pull her over. The officer flips on his lights and obliges, only to find that she was not only speeding, but is only 14. Then they go through the steps of getting a ticket, and it's another student's turn.

Fosta was one of the first 10 participants in the Youth Driver Training Program, a program sponsored by the Greenbelt Police Department and held at the Eleanor Roosevelt High School. Greenbelt police officer John Rogers uses hands-on experiences with go-karts to help youth ages 14 to 17 get acclimated to driving a four-wheeled vehicle.

"Most people, before they start driving, have never been behind the wheel of a vehicle except maybe a bicycle, and this helps them learn to use the gas and brakes and helps them learn what they can and cannot do with it," said Rogers, who is in charge of the program. "I need them to realize that you can't always go fast and you need maneuverability."

The classes run for two back-to-back days, six hours each day. The first official class, which had 10 youth, the majority of them from ERHS, was held Monday and Tuesday. During the morning, the students learned the Maryland licensing requirements, laws and responsibilities of a newly licensed driver and dangerous activities of new drivers such as talking on a cell phone, texting while driving and drag racing.

The next program will be held on a Saturday and Sunday in a few weeks, Rogers said, to allow the students who work during the day a chance to participate.

In the afternoon, the students donned helmets and had the opportunity to drive one of three go-karts, practice turning and practice what to do at crosswalks.

"I also teach them what to do in case of an accident and what to do if they're stopped by the police," Rogers said.

The program was funded by a $15,700 "Good Neighbor Grant" from State Farm Insurance. With the money, the police department was able to purchase three go-karts. Though the course does not count toward obtaining a license or learning permit, each student can get a discount through State Farm insurance for completing the teen driving program.

The cost is $35 per student, which pays for a pizza lunch, as well as gas and maintenance for the go-karts, Rogers said.

"Other driver's ed programs don't have go-karts and they don't let in people my age," said Fosta, of Beltsville. Fosta heard about the program at Eleanor Roosevelt High School, where she will be a sophomore in the fall.

"It wasn't what I expected," Fosta said. "It's better."

Ankur Naik, 15, of Laurel also participated in the program.

"My dad let me drive his car before [in an empty parking lot], but I was no good at it," Naik said. [The go-karts] were actually pretty fun, but it was hard to do the turns because apparently you can flip."