[Brandon Ha]

Our team has Summer Projects.
A group of students and mentors design and build something that can and will be used for the FRC/FLL/FTC Team in some way, shape or form. The hinge is getting the students to want to do something, to solve this make it very broad and assign your students a mentor who can truly support them and attend those meetings. Depending on the size of your budget and number of mentors/students, you can take on as many projects as you want.
Keys to Success:
Make it reasonable. One year, we had a group build a "Magic Carpet" which entails some machining and software. Also, we used mecanums, which we had to purchase. To top it off, we added a special controls system that utilized an Ipod to control it.
Benefits are extremely numerous. Awesome sponsor talking point, Money Maker (kids love it, let them ride it and at your booth/stand have a little donation box... champs here we go). Kids enjoy the fact that they did it and can talk about it FINALLY! and its reusable.

Make the kids do it. No one wants to do something someone else told them they have to do. Push them and prod them with other ideas and spend a couple of hours thinking and planning. Make it as close to build season without all the chaos.
Personally as a high school student not knowledgeable in the details of your asbestos case, take this time to plan. Building can come later. Albeit if the lab never opens until January 3, cross your fingers they like it enough to stay for the summer!