I've got one in my backyard, solar powered, an ATtiny13 flashes 5 bright white LEDs in sequence. Started on a second one, with 8 LEDs and a ATtiny2313, built the circuit first, then tried to program the chip. Unfortunately, couldn't get it to burn, tried quite a few, ISP, HV, still no go, even tried with an 8 MHz crystal (last succesful 2313 project), still nothing. Pretty weird, can still program my other chips, just not 2313. Didn't have 8 more bright whites, so it still sits. The $12 resin Lighthouse had a single amber LED, and was dim, but the model looks nice. Has eight clear windows, which is why I wanted 8 leds...
Back to the thread, as a school project, you really need to give us more detail, since it's college, doubt mine would give more than a laugh, unless you are studying ways to improve cheap manufactured Chinese products...