Design, no problem

Build, good project

Learn yo fly? Now you're asking a bit much.

Unless you design and build something along the lines of a 2-meter, polyhedral, powered glider you may find the "Flying" part difficult. It takes most people several months to learn how to fly - and that's one-on-one with their instructor, not a class of students with one instructor.

And what happens if ONE of the students crashes the plane beyond repair?

I think it might be a much better idea to contact your local club (Just ask, we can help you find it) and have one of the seasoned fliers do the "Test Flight".