I'd love to have some ideas too. My technical theatre students are mixed with my stage crafts / acting class or are volunteers who do not take the class for credit. For my students, I have placed a script in their hands, assumed the role of director, given them an idea how I have envisioned the set designs then set them free to create a tech design and plot. We are learning how to use some of the free 3D programs on-line to mock up stage designs...I have them do workshops where the advanced tech students train the newbies...I have a growing library of tech books on stage lighting and sound design. I have them do individual research from these books. They keep a journal of notes from these texts/books/manuals and we have class discussions where they teach the rest of the group what they've learned. My limitation is that our stage is at the end of a "cafetorium" which means we have very limited lighting (one batten of elipsoidals, one batten of fresnels, and two rows of border color strips--There's a great book out there called "Stage Lighting in the Boondocks"...I am convinced the author worked on my stage...it's how to do a lot with nothing! but that book gives great suggestions on how to work from scratch. A great project...assume you have nothing...build a tech design from nothing...build your own PAR cans...etc. ... design a lighting tree...Send me some ideas. I'd love to share